From Trade Fair to Milestone: 70 Years with Følsgaard and Schlegel

Who says that trade fairs mostly consist of lukewarm beer and provide limited returns? The Hanover Fair of 1954 became the cradle for a preliminary 70-year-long Danish-German collaboration.

This year marks a milestone in Danish-German industrial history: 70 years of partnership between Hans Følsgaard A/S and Georg Schlegel GmbH. This collaboration, which began just nine years after Georg Schlegel founded his company in 1945, stands as a bastion of innovation, trust, and technological advancement.

Foundation and Growth

It all started in 1954 at the Hannover Fair, where Hans Følsgaard first encountered Georg Schlegel and his then 9-year-old company. This event laid the foundation for one of the longest and most fruitful partnerships in the history of both companies. Georg Schlegel, originally focusing on installation, quickly developed and is today a leading manufacturer of emergency stops, enclosures, RFID systems, and other electrical engineering solutions, recognized for award winning design "Made in Germany".

Hans Følsgaard A/S had already been around for several decades at that time and was looking for a partner who could deliver switches of the highest quality to customers in the Danish market. It turned out to be a match, and the two companies started what would prove to be a long-lasting collaboration.

Jørgen was along for a good part of the way

Former CEO of Hans Følsgaard A/S, Jørgen Stenberg, looks back on the long partnership with joy and gratitude. With a long career in the company, Jørgen has witnessed, and been a part of, the long journey:

"I have been involved for 35-40 years and am pleased with the long and close collaboration we have had with Schlegel. I would like to take this opportunity to say thank you for many good years to everyone at Schlegel and all the best in the future."

Current CEO, Bent Madsen, and Head of Automation, Søren Madsen, are both aware of the importance of having Industry leading partners like Schlegel. With equal parts enthusiasm for the products and for the results that have been achieved over the years, the plan is ready: The next 70 years start now!

Innovation and Technological Development

Over the decades, the partnership has been driven by a shared commitment to innovation and technological development. Schlegel's products, known for their exceptional design and advanced technology, have become smaller, more modular, and increasingly digital. Hans Følsgaard A/S has not only been a distributor but a valuable collaborative partner optimizing product selection and implementation of technical total solutions. These solutions have played an important role in the automation of the industry and have made applications and workplaces safer and more efficient.

A Culture of Knowledge Sharing

A core element in this seven-decade-long collaboration has been in-depth knowledge sharing and joint development. Both companies have benefited from mutual inspiration, which has stimulated continuous improvement and helped maintain a position at the forefront of technological advancements.

The Golden Emergency Stop

As a recognition of the value of the collaboration, Schlegel recently gave a unique gift to Hans Følsgaard: a golden emergency stop. This symbolizes not only safety and reliability but also the gold standard for partnership and innovation that the two companies have set together.

Future Perspectives

Today, the 3rd generation is at the helm of Schlegel, which bodes well for the preservation of the passion and innovation that have been driving forces for the company over the years. With a focus on the future, Hans Følsgaard A/S and Georg Schlegel GmbH continue to work closely together and benefit from each other's expertise in design and engineering.

This 70th anniversary is nok only a celebration of the past, but also of the future with continued collaboration on the best solutions for our customers.
We look forward to many more decades with Schlegel as a business partner.