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About the company
A lot has happened since we started more than 70 years ago. The market and our business have undergone a major transformation. Despite the fact that there were around 1700 dairies back then, and today there are less than 75, we have still managed to keep up the momentum. We are selling more than ever to the Danish dairy industry.
With a wide range of products, commitment to a high level of service and, not least, a district-divided rota with our own trucks, we have managed to acquire many new customers in the rest of the industry.
We can mention swimming pools, heating plants, galvanizing companies, fish farms and textile dye works as some of the industries that now belong to our clientele.
Today we have our own bottling plant where chemicals are bottled into cans, barrels and pallet tanks. In terms of logistics, there have been significant changes, as we used to deliver only from our own warehouse. Now, for example, it is part of everyday life that goods are transported in large batches from the factory directly to the customer.
These supplies are not only from Danish producers, but also from foreign ones with whom we trade directly. With a flexible organization, we are able to provide a service that is a little more than customers expect – not only today, but also in the future.
The year marked a turning point for S. Sørensen. The partnership (I/S) was dissolved, and Søren bought out Simon's share of the company, establishing a new limited company (A/S) as of June 26th, with Søren as the sole owner. During this process, there were several changes at the top of the organization, and Søren formed a new structure with a director and board of directors. The company continues to uphold the same values and high level of service that characterize S. Sørensen.
The final part of ownership was transferred to Søren and Simon, and a 75th anniversary celebration was held.
Simon Sørensen (son of Peter Sørensen), another member of the 4th generation, was hired as a salesperson with a focus on sales, customer care, and developing new markets. Simon is educated at the Aarhus School of Business.
Simon Sørensen (son of Peter Sørensen), another member of the 4th generation, was hired as a salesperson with a focus on sales, customer care, and developing new markets. Simon is educated at the Aarhus School of Business.
Søren Sørensen (son of Michael Sørensen) was hired to handle logistics and warehouse management. Since childhood, Søren has been involved in the company, taking on tasks in the warehouse and bottling plant. Previously, he worked in the military and studied various economic and management subjects. In addition, Søren brings significant professional experience from a few years as a truck driver for another company, thus introducing the 4th generation into the business.
Sales to the industrial sector grew, leading to the hiring of Bent Ovesen as sales manager to service existing customers and seek out new customers and markets. The photo includes an image of our truck from that period.
Orla B. Jensen was hired as a consultant to service our dairy customers in the Funen and Southern Jutland regions.
The company was transformed into a partnership (I/S) to establish the current three-part ownership. In the same year, we acquired our first computer system. This system was a remarkable technological advancement, featuring a 20 MB network hard drive that served two workstations. It even operated on 5½-inch floppy disks.
Michael Sørensen (third generation) was hired to take over accounting and finance. Michael returned to the family business after several years working for companies such as Aalborg Portland.
As the space and access conditions at Strandgade became increasingly unacceptable, our current headquarters was built on Tigervej. In the photo, our building is seen at the top and is the smaller of the two structures in the image. The large hall below belonged to the former Sørensen's Timber Trade, now CESTE Træ. Today, not a single field can be seen, as all available plots have been filled with businesses.
The third generation entered the company when Peter Sørensen was hired as a salesperson and consultant. Peter immediately took on the task of visiting all the dairies in Denmark, which was a very extensive undertaking at the time. With his background in dairy expertise, Peter was able to contribute to the technical aspects of a rapidly evolving industry.
At the request of several dairies in Vendsyssel, a branch was established in Hjørring with two employees. The cheese wholesale department in Thisted was closed down to use the cheese storage space for the increasingly space-demanding dairy products.
The dairies began using tanker trucks to collect milk, which created a great demand for farm tanks, farm coolers, and feed carts. A partnership was established with Hillerslev Beholderfabrik, which manufactured these products. We sold these items until the market was saturated. Today, more than 25 years later, many of the milk cooling tanks are still in use.
Following this, we continued the collaboration with Hillerslev Beholderfabrik and produced several silo tanks and milk transport vehicles.
The space at Gasværksvej became too cramped, and the company purchased Strandgade 5 (Th. Christensen's Merchant Yard), where new premises were set up in the restored warehouse building.
The company received its current logo, designed by Niels Sørensen. Contrary to popular belief, it represents a ribbon, not a Viking ship, as many mistakenly interpret it. Despite numerous suggestions from various media professionals, we have stubbornly maintained the original design.
The company acquired its first truck for transporting goods, which could be used both as a flatbed and as a cheese sales vehicle with a detachable box. The price for this marvel was DKK 13,000. Peter Sørensen was hired as the driver/salesman and visited retail shops every two weeks to sell cheese.
On June 1st, the company moved to premises at Gasværksvej 15, which had been requisitioned by the German occupying forces during the war.
In December, the warehouse storing dairy products at Thisted Wool Spinning Mill caught fire. This caused quite a few problems, as nearly all goods at the time were rationed, and the inventory mostly consisted of items purchased under the dairies’ purchasing permits. Consequently, the Goods Directorate had to be approached multiple times to obtain replacements for the burned goods. To compensate for the destroyed premises, alternative storage spaces were rented elsewhere in the city.
On November 1st, Søren Sørensen took over "Cheese Wholesale and Dairy Products." He rented the used premises in the Wool Spinning Mill and set up an office there. The business was now run under the name "P. Møller’s Successor by S. Sørensen." At that time, deliveries in the city were made by horse-drawn carriage, handcart, and cargo bike. Out-of-town customers were served by traveling salesmen, freight carriers, and rail.
In the former Thisted County, there were 40 dairies that formed the core of the customer base for dairy products. Among these, only two were cheese producers; they made some skimmed milk and 10% fat cheeses in the summer, and only for the suppliers, who had to deliver the milk themselves. Therefore, there were also product deliveries to dairies on Funen and the rest of Jutland, from which we sourced cheese.
In the early 20th century, P. Møller established himself in Thisted, dealing in dairy products and cheese, both wholesale and retail. At that time, Søren Sørensen was the dairy manager at Fannerup Dairy on Djursland. In 1919, he purchased Thisted Milk Supply, which he ran for a couple of years until P. Møller offered him the position of accountant and manager in his business.
Søren Sørensen sold the dairy and started working for Møller on November 1, 1921. At that time, the company operated a cheese shop and office at Jernbanegade 3, and also had cheese storage and a warehouse for dairy products on Mellemgade.
On May 1, 1930, Møller rented premises in the then Thisted Wool Spinning Mill, located on Østergade and at Hjultorv, for an annual rent of DKK 1,200. According to the standards of the time, the premises were well-equipped, with cheese storage and a shipping area on the ground floor and a warehouse for dairy products on the fourth floor. Fortunately, the large factory building was equipped with a freight elevator, which was quite unusual for that period.
The office and shop continued as before on Jernbanegade and were managed by Søren Sørensen. P. Møller visited the dairies to buy cheese and sell dairy products, as it was natural at the time for these two aspects to go hand in hand.
