Nortek

About Nortek

Nortek designs, develops, and manufactures acoustic underwater sensors used to measure motion in marine environments. Founded in 1996 by Atle Lohrmann, the company established its operations near Oslo, Norway, to produce Doppler instrumentation. After leading the company for over two decades, Lohrmann transitioned to the role of Chairman of the Board, with Finn Ivar Marum taking over as CEO in 2019.

The company's core technology is based on the Doppler effect, which is applied to underwater acoustics to measure water currents and waves. Nortek's main products are Acoustic Doppler Current Profilers (ADCPs) and Doppler Velocity Logs (DVLs). ADCPs are utilized by scientists and researchers for oceanographic studies, such as understanding currents and waves, which helps in assessing environmental issues like climate change. DVLs are crucial for subsea navigation, providing velocity data for underwater vehicles like AUVs (Autonomous Underwater Vehicles) and ROVs (Remotely Operated Vehicles) in GPS-denied environments. These instruments support a range of applications including offshore construction and maintenance, underwater robotics, marine science research, and defense and security.

Nortek serves a global client base that includes scientists, researchers, engineers, and government agencies. The business model encompasses the development, production, sale, and distribution of its instruments, along with comprehensive support services. The company has a global presence with its headquarters and manufacturing in Norway, and subsidiary offices in the US, Brazil, Australia, China, Japan, France, the Netherlands, and the UK, supported by a worldwide network of distributors. In 2023, the company reported annual revenue of 543 million NOK.