ProNav is one of Norway’s leading distributors of marine electronics

Japan Radio Company Ltd (JRC) has acquired Norway’s ProNav AS for an undisclosed sum. The move comes after more than 20 years of cooperation between the two firms.

ProNav is one of Norway’s leading distributors of marine electronics. In recent years, the company has taken several major orders for electronics on new ships, including offshore vessels from Maersk.

“It’s been a fantastic journey,” says John Magne Hestnes, one of ProNav’s founders and head of the company since it was founded in Egersund almost 25 years ago. “We have possibly the best staff in the world. They’ve been working through good times and bad times, giving ProNav a good reputation outside Norway too.

“ProNav has been profitable from day one and is still financially sound,” he adds. “But with a wish to accomplish even more than we local founders can do, it was a natural step to get JRC as owners.”

ProNav will expand its responsibility from mainly Norwegian customers to all of Scandinavia, the UK, Ireland and Iceland from January 1, 2019.

John Magne Hestnes will be responsible for building the organisation outside Norway, while former sales manager Arild Risholm Sæther will take over as daily leader in Norway.

Japan Radio Company Ltd was established in 1915 and is a part of Nisshinbo Holding Inc on the Tokyo stock exchange.