From arm bolt to laser cutter
An industrial adventure began
Over 50 years ago, the foundation stone was laid for an industrial adventure in the small village of Fredbjerg near Farsø in Denmark. This is the story of the young farmer's son Thorkild B. Fransgaard, who cycled from his parents' farm in the village of Vesterbølle near Gedsted in 1959 to become an apprentice blacksmith.
Only 8 years later he took over the blacksmith business himself, and then things started to move fast.
What a start
Thorkild B. Fransgaard had a nose for what machines were needed in agriculture. The many years of contact with local farmers, repairing their machines and tractors, turned out to be a great source of inspiration for new ideas for machines, such as the first side-delivery rake. It was presented at the 'Ungskuet' agricultural show in Herning, which at the time attracted many people in agriculture from far away - even from Sweden. The result: an order for 200 units to Sweden.
Thorkild B. Fransgaard took over Fredbjerg Smedie.
Presentation of the side-delivery rake at the 'Ungskuet' agricultural show in Herning, resulted in the first major export order to Sweden.
Fransgård developed a winch in collaboration with professional Norwegian foresters.
Sales work started in North America via a Danish export company and the products were shown at a trade fair in the USA
Demonstration of a winch in Chile. Export markets now included South America.
The 25th anniversary was celebrated at trade fairs, in advertisements, an open factory event and a big party.
Market-adapted solutions were constantly being developed - a grass rake was adapted for handling rice straw, in South Korea and Asia came on the map of export markets.
No continent remained untested in its goal to reach world markets. The winch at work in the sugar cane industry in Malawi, Africa.
The ownership was changed in a generational change, so that the owners were now (from left to right)
Thorkild B. Fransgaard, Jørgen Fransgård, Jens Ploug and Ivan Kristensen
Years of intensive work on the Australian continent culminated in an innovation award for Fransgård's front-mounted rotor rake.
Staff care has always been a focus at Fransgård. Here the company visited the Norwegian importer, where we were welcomed with cake and a walk in the mountains.
Fransgård celebrates its 50th anniversary, Bjørn Kristensen is now part of the ownership circle and we look forward to developing new innovative products in close collaboration with our importers for the forest, field and road.
I dag
The current owners are (from left to right) Jens Ploug, Bjørn Kristensen, Søren Aldahl Nielsen and Jørgen Fransgård.
