Børge remembers the time spent in Product Development as a time that was very special to him. He claims that he likely has been a part of developing most of the products Vikan has today – an accomplishment Børge takes enormous pride in.

Even though Børge is retired, he still feels like he is a part of the Vikan family. For several years after his retirement, he attended the company’s summer party as the grill master. He has also helped out at Christmas by dressing up as Santa and handing out Christmas presents to employees. And occasionally, a current employee calls him with questions, and he enjoys being able to provide his help and assistance. Altogether, it all adds to Børge’s feeling that after 50+ years, he is still a part of Vikan.

When you have been a part of a company for so long, you are bound to experience some changes. The biggest change Børge experienced in his time at Vikan was machine automation. The number of products that were produced and revenue increased significantly during Børge’s time, but the number of employees stayed the same thanks to automation.

“Vikan is a great workplace,” Børge states when asked how he would describe Vikan. He further explains that he believes Vikan takes care of employees and the local community. When Børge started at Vikan, several people with different difficulties were employed at the company. While they might not have been able to hold a job elsewhere, Vikan was able to provide them with steady employment on the production lines.

Another thing he emphasises when speaking about Vikan is quality. Quality is embedded in Vikan’s DNA and has always been the foundation of the company.

"The most important value Vikan has and should keep for the next 125 years is its spirit"

Børge, Retired Vikan Employee

The Vikan spirit means a lot to Børge. Many years back, a lot of young people were hired all at once, which threatened to change the company’s culture. Børge helped implement an “uncle/aunt” program so more seasoned employees could mentor the younger ones. This gave new employees a better start and kept the Vikan spirit alive through sharing the company’s history and values.

“I have always been very passionate about Vikan,” Børge states. “I am both privileged and proud that I have been a part of this company for so long. It means a lot to me that Vikan gave me the opportunity to be a part of different departments and have different roles during my many years with the company.”

My favourite memory is when I had my 40-year anniversary at Vikan, and I received a medal for 40 years of faithful service by the Danish Queen. Later on, I had the opportunity to meet the Danish Queen and thank her for the medal. I felt very proud to be a part of Vikan for so many years.