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The seed was sown when two young colleagues (30-year-old Mogens Petersen and 26-year-old Hans Tyndeskov) decided to launch what they called "some kind of company of their own". They already had a technical and administrative training respectively, and a few years' experience. And the know-how, hard work, talent and personality they demonstrated proved to be an excellent combination.
Mogens and Hans knew each other extremely well - both as colleagues at work and in their spare time pursuits. They came from the same region of Denmark, and among other things had played football for the same team. The union was sealed even more firmly when Hans married Mogens's sister.
Before starting the company Mogens had already designed a grain blower which could mechanise the hard work of carrying the sacks of grain produced by the threshing machines which used to travel from farm to farm around Denmark. This was before the arrival of combine harvesters.
The two young manufacturers borrowed DKK 15,000 each against their life insurance policies, and rented a small building once used as a cement works from Mogens's father for DKK 75 a month. This building still forms part of Kongskilde's 35,000 m2 complex of buildings at Sorø in Denmark.
Mogens and Hans started with a single employee. They had only one product in their range, and only one grain blower was manufactured. It was tested on the neighbouring farm and worked satisfactorily. It was then sold to a farmer in the same village. The next series of 3 grain blowers was also sold in the same area. And that is how Kongskilde started.
The first years consisted of one long and exciting development process, with new products, employees and buildings being added each year. Export activities were quickly established, and an international tradition was built up which is quite exceptional for this line of business.
Times have also been hard for Kongskilde occasionally, but the company has always made good progress again, and its dynamism and internationalisation has been continued with a speed and enthusiasm that is reminiscent of all the finest Kongskilde traditions for growth.
Historical Milestones
Kongskilde - the beginning:
1949 Start of blower production
1955 Export sales
1956 Start of production of cultivators and S-tines
1993 Start of industrial sales
Kongskilde purchases:
1997 Danagri-Pol, Karl Becker, Juko, Överums Bruk
2000 Howard, Nordsten
2009 Danagri Deutschland (Becker)
2010 Progressive Farm Products
2011 JF-Stoll
CNH Industrial purchases:
2017 Kongskilde Grass and Soil activities from DLG
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