SG Armaturen was founded in 1990 by Sven Gunvaldsen. After working in lamp sales, he decided to invest in his own production and started the business with one employee and one product: the Rondo lighting series. 

In the early years, the company sold through multiple channels, including lighting stores, wholesalers, and installers. SG Armaturen also supplied major retailers such as IKEA and Skeidar. In 1994, the company opened an office in Lillesand, and that same year, Sven Gunvaldsen’s son, Eivind Gunvaldsen, joined the company as a warehouse and office employee.

Around the year 2000, revenue had stagnated at around 40–45 million kroner. This marked a major turning point for the company. Eivind Gunvaldsen took over as CEO, while Erik Nordermoen joined as sales director. Together, they made a strategic decision to focus the business exclusively on wholesalers and installers, rather than the retail market. The goal was to build a brand specifically tailored to Norwegian electricians and their needs. This strategic shift would prove decisive for SG Armaturen’s continued growth.

In 2003, SG Armaturen established its own factory in China to meet growing demand. In 2015, the company acquired the Danish firm Riegens for 250 million Danish kroner. The acquisition strengthened the company’s expertise in commercial lighting and high-quality technical manufacturing, and proved particularly relevant during a period when traditional light sources were gradually being phased out in favor of LEDs. The acquisition helped boost revenue to 748 million kroner in 2016. That same year, the company moved into a newly built headquarters in Lillesand, with 22,000 square meters of office space and 16,000 square meters of warehouse space.

In 2019, SG Armaturen received Eco-Lighthouse certification, while its revenue exceeded 1.2 billion Norwegian kroner. Growth continued, and in 2022 the company reached revenue of 2 billion Norwegian kroner, with approximately half coming from the Norwegian market. SG Armaturen has thus established itself as one of the largest players in the lighting industry in the Nordic region and among the leading players in Europe. 

The company currently has approximately 600–700 employees spread across Norway, Denmark, China, and several European sales offices. Product development takes place primarily in Lillesand and Odense, and the product portfolio has evolved from traditional lighting fixtures to modern LED solutions, Tunable White technology, and smart, Bluetooth-based systems such as SG Smart and SG Connect.

Founder Sven Gunvaldsen remains chairman of the board but is no longer involved in day-to-day operations.