He was the most significant designer of wooden sailing ships in Norway in the second half of the 19th century.

In 1852, after four years of apprenticeship, he traveled to the United States to continue his education, mainly at the East Boston shipyard of Donald McKay.

That same year, Jens Gran, who had also worked with McKay, joined the shipyard at Bergen.

From 1857 he was the sole owner of the yard, except during the periods 1871-1874 and 1874-1882, when respectively Adolf Tidemand and Georg Smitt were co-owners.

He was a co-founder of the West Norway Museum of Decorative Art (Vestlandske Kunstindustrimuseum) which opened in Bergen during 1889.