The mill was founded on 27 June 1889 by councilor
Anders Sveaas and was in operation from the following year until 1955 when an agreement was made with
Follum Fabrikker (now Norske Skog Follum) who took over the operation. Kistefos agreed to deliver power and lumber to the plant at Follum, being paid market price and a premium for the processing. After an internal disagreement in the family the company was sold to the neighbor company Viul Tresliperi in 1983, but was bought back by
Christen Sveaas in 1993 and transformed into the
holding company Kistefos. ==Operation==