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The long story of Landia...

Landia was founded in 1933 Landia is a Danish family-owned company, which was established back in 1933 in the western part of Denmark, where we're still based today.

Landia's founder, Mr. Christian Oelgaard (1909-1991), served his apprenticeship with master blacksmith H. S. Hansen in the late 1920s (picture on the right). Hansen trained several skilled and enterprising blacksmiths in his workshop and encouraged them to think independently. This led to the establishment of several new metalworking companies in Lem Stationsby in the years leading up to World War II. Today the most well-known of these are Vestas, HansenGroup, IPL and Landia. Over the years these four companies have shown a special ability to survive, develop and create growth far beyond the town’s borders.

The years following 1945 also witnessed an extensive growth in number of firms and an eagerness for entrepreneurship amongst the companies and inhabitants of Lem. For many years this meant that the number of jobs in Lem Stationsby exceeded the town’s number of inhabitants by far - something which is quite exceptional in Europe. A complete overview of the town's companies can be seen at the business centre Smedenes Hus (the house of the blacksmiths) which is situated in the town centre (picture on the right).

Landia's history begins in 1933:

The 1930s and 1940s During Landia's formative years, Mr. Oelgaard solely focused on the development and improvement of mechanical equipment for the agricultural sector. He invented, tested and further developed various constructions at the family farm outside town, for example the hand-operated water pump which was used in the company logo for many years.

The 1950s and 1960s In 1950 Mr. Christian Oelgaard invented the first efficient electric pump with rotating knives. Today the main principle behind this original pump is employed in the modern chopper pump, as it is now called, which is used all over the world. Due to its efficiency and excellent quality, the new pump was a great success which has formed the basis for Landia's development of products ever since. Even today a substantial number of chopper pumps are sold for many different purposes in Denmark as well as abroad each year.

The 1970s In the beginning of the 1970s Landia developed the first submersible pumps and mixers and also began exporting to our neighbouring markets in Scandinavia and Northern Europe. For some years in the latter half of the 70s we also manufactured a number of self-propelled irrigation systems, many of which are still in use at farms across Denmark.

The 1980s In the 1980s the Danish parliament introduced a major political initiative, the Action Plan for the Aquatic Environment (Vandmiljoeplanen). In cooperation with leading Danish consultants, Landia therefore developed a complete product range of pumps, flowmakers and aeration systems for the treatment of waste water. Because of our experience in this area, Landia was one of the first manufacturers in the world to develop a thorough knowledge of the removal of nitrogen and phosphorus from waste water and waste water sludge. Later we shared our knowledge and experience in this field with others all over the world.

The 1990s Through the 1990s we’ve further developed the original pumps, mixers and aeration systems, and on the basis of our thoroughly tested constructions we’ve devised special solutions for many different companies and industries. In 1993 Landia was named one of the 50 fastest-growing companies in Denmark. In 1994 our quality management system was certified under EN/ISO 9001. In 1998 Landia was again named one of the 50 fastest-growing companies in Denmark.

The 2000s In 2002 we were awarded "King Frederik IX's Award for Excellence in Danish Export". (Kong Frederik den Niendes haederspris for fortjenstfuld indsats for dansk eksport) The award, which consisted of a statuette and a diploma, was presented at a ceremony at the royal Fredensborg Palace in Denmark.

In 2008 we celebrated Landia’s 75th anniversary and looked back on many years' experience in the manufacturing of pumps and flowmakers for the industrial and agricultural sectors with special focus on the handling of difficult liquids. In connection with our 75th anniversary, a book entitled "Smeden og skabervaerket" (The Blacksmith and his Creations) was published in Danish. It tells the parallel stories of Landia A/S and the village of Lem and its many metalworking companies. The book was written by Mr. Palle Ove Christiansen and published in 2008 by Reitzels Forlag. (ISBN 87-7876-621-5)

In cooperation with leading consultancy companies, we have developed a range of free-standing process units which can be used to turn various kinds of biological waste products into useable, valuable additives.

Since 2010 At the end of 2010 Landia had over 100 employees - 85 of whom are employed at our factory and head office in Denmark, and about 20 of whom are employed in three sales companies in the UK, Germany and the United States. Today exports make up over 75% of Landia's total sales, and demand on the export markets is still increasing. We currently have 44 representatives in 33 countries, and in the summer of 2010 we completed a large-scale extension of our factory in Lem in order to accommodate our expectations for continuous stable growth.

Learn more about 'The story of Landia begins in 1933' on www.landia.co.uk