Kjættingfabriken AS with the brand name FRAM was established in 1909 by Oscar Wilhelm Spilhaug. Oscar, born in 1879, was a very gifted young man. After studying in Germany where he finished as the school's best student, he left in 1903 from Kristiania to New York to look for work in the land of the dreams. During his stay in the United States, he happened to see, one Sunday in Pittsburgh, a number of machines for chain production in the factory windows of the company McKay.

Already before Spilhaug left the USA, he had investigated the possibilities for chain production in Norway. "A place to be" was crucial, and in the summer of 1908, he traveled together with his father, around Eastern Norway to investigate the possibilities for hydropower. The company was founded at Magnor by the Swedish border on January 27, 1909. The production method chosen was machine forging, "fire welding".

Spilhaug constantly developed new and better production methods - with its own constructions and development of significantly better production equipment for electrically welded chains, the production of snow chains under the name "FRAM" also came into the picture. The snow chain was a great success. In the 1930s, exports also gained momentum, and North America became an important market. There was a lot of foreign competition in the snow chain market and it was necessary to maintain high quality. In addition, the cost level in Norway was higher than in the countries it competed against, but there was some support in the power deliveries. The need for electricity meant that Spilhaug began to look around for a new production site where the company could build its own power plant. Thus, the introduction to the purchase of Helle Bruk near Kragerø was underway. Helle Bruk was bought in 1937 and in 1939 the construction period was over and production in Kragerø could start.

April 9, 1940, Hitler and Germany attacked Norway. The occupation period that followed created significant problems for Norwegian businesses and industries, as well as for Kjættingfabriken. After difficult times during the war, years followed with a new growth, and constant new development of methods and equipment. In 1958 Oscar Spilhaug died, and Oscar's son Helge took over the management of the company. Hoists, loops and coupling elements gradually became an important part of the product range. On the technical side, the year 1972 gave a very important result as "Fram Alloy Blue Chain" - Grade 80 - was launched in the market. The quality took over all production of lifting equipment and has meant a lot to this part of the turnover.In 1973, T.W. Spilhaug, who was an internationally renowned machine designer, as CEO. After TW Spilhaug abruptly passed away in 1987, the company had several management constellations in the years leading up to the millennium. In 2001, Kjættingfabriken was acquired by Nøsted Kjetting AS by Alf-Arne Nøsted. Thus, Norway's two longest living and most innovative chain manufacturers were united, and a new era began.