The latter division was sold to the Orkla Group in 1995,[1] in order to strengthen the snack brand KiMs.
[1] It was soon sued by the Orkla-controlled company Sætre (distributor of KiMs), since Den Lille Nøttefabrikken delivered nuts to Hakon Gruppen which were packaged by Private Label Company en route, displacing Sætre as a vendor.
[1] Den Lille Nøttefabrikken became a success, and the brand was bought by Brynild Gruppen in 2003.
In 2006, the same year as Brynild Gruppen moved the production of Den Lille Nøttefabrikken nuts from Bjørnerud to Fredrikstad, Holmsen moved in at Bjørnerud and launched a new company Nøttekongen.
Nøttekongen immediately started competing with Den Lille Nøttefabrikken in the packaged nuts segment.