1000 1957 1962 1967 1972 1977 1982 1987 1992 1997 2002 2007 800 600 400 200 0 Turnover 1 8 19 5 7 20 0 7 HARDI - 50 years as Sprayer Specialist Company start Farming was during the 30’s and 40’s develop- ing from manual work, using horses as the main power, to mechanisation with investments in tractors and implements as well as accelerated use of fertilizer and chemicals to get a more effi- cient production. A typical farm in Denmark in 1957 could feed app. 90 per- sons. These figures would increase drastically over the next 50 years as a result of the vast change of farming habits. Hartvig Jensen & Co. was founded and became a registered limited company on August 17, 1957. The shareholders of the company were Hartvig Jensen, Ove Fuglsang and Niels E. Rasmussen. The strategy the company was built on was ‘each farmer his own sprayer’, and a factory was built at Sydvestvej in Glostrup. The first products The initial idea for Hartvig Jensen & Co. was to develop a sim- ple, durable sprayer and utilize a diaphragm pump operated di- rectly from the tractor’s PTO shaft. HARDI was the first company in the world to introduce sprayers with this type of pump. The new pump was so strong that the warranty period was three years which was absolutely unheard at that time. The pump range consisted of two models – the 1200 and 1300 model. The tank looked like a red painted steel drum available in three sizes: 300, 400 and 500 litres. Boom sizes were 5, 6 and 8 metres. At the end of 1966 the factory was moved to a new and modern factory of 6,000 m 2 at Farverland in Glostrup. Turnover was now more than DKK 8 mill. Export Export to UK started in 1959 and to Sweden in 1960. Sales to Germany and Holland started in 1962. Already in 1965 the export to Australia was initiated. Farming data • Average size of typical Danish farm was 16 ha • Average yield in wheat in Denmark was 37 hkg/ha – with the use of 40 kg N/ha • 285,000 persons were employed on the farms in Denmark Trends - machinery on the farm Petrol and diesel tractors, pulled combines were getting common, and ploughs as well as other implements grew in size as the pulling power was increased from the tractor. Politics and technology Rome treaty was signed - the start of the EU and Sputnik was launched (1957), ‘Cold War’, First nuclear power plant in US (1958), Kennedy mur- dered (1963), “Cultural Revolution” in China (1966). Music Elvis Presley, Charlie Parker 1957-1967
Farming was during the 30’s and 40’s develop-ing from manual work, using horses as the main power, to mechanisation with investments in tractors and implements as well as accelerated use of fertilizer and chemicals to get a more effi-cient production.
A typical farm in Denmark in 1957 could feed app. 90 per-sons. These figures would increase drastically over the next 50 years as a result of the vast change of farming habits.
Hartvig Jensen & Co. was founded and became a registered limited company on August 17, 1957. The shareholders of the company were Hartvig Jensen, Ove Fuglsang and Niels E. Rasmussen. The strategy the company was built on was ‘each farmer his own sprayer’, and a factory was built at Sydvestvej in Glostrup.
The first productsThe initial idea for Hartvig Jensen & Co. was to develop a sim-ple, durable sprayer and utilize a diaphragm pump operated di-rectly from the tractor’s PTO shaft.
HARDI was the first company in the world to introduce sprayers with this type of pump. The new pump was so strong that the warranty period was three years which was absolutely unheard at that time.
The pump range consisted of two models – the 1200 and 1300 model. The tank looked like a red painted steel drum available in three sizes: 300, 400 and 500 litres. Boom sizes were 5, 6 and 8 metres.
At the end of 1966 the factory was moved to a new and modern factory of 6,000 m2 at Farverland in Glostrup. Turnover was now more than DKK 8 mill.
ExportExport to UK started in 1959 and to Sweden in 1960. Sales to Germany and Holland started in 1962. Already in 1965 the export to Australia was initiated.
Farming data• Average size of typical Danish farm was 16 ha• Average yield in wheat in Denmark was 37 hkg/ha –
with the use of 40 kg N/ha• 285,000 persons were employed on the farms in
Denmark
Trends - machinery on the farmPetrol and diesel tractors, pulled combines were getting common, and ploughs as well as other implements grew in size as the pulling power was increased from the tractor.
Politics and technology
Rome treaty was signed - the start of the EU and Sputnik was launched (1957), ‘Cold War’, First nuclear power plant in US (1958), Kennedy mur-dered (1963), “Cultural Revolution” in China (1966).
Hartvig Jensen & Co. became more and more successful, and new prod-ucts and markets were added. The number of staff both in Denmark and abroad continued to increase.
The customers were impressed by the ro-bust HARDI sprayers, and three-shift in production as well as weekend shifts were introduced to overcome the increased de-mand.
SVENSKA HARDI was founded as the first HARDI sub-sidiary in 1967.
The product range was in the late 60’s expanded also to include trailers as a 1,000 litre trailer named TR was in-troduced.
Later on the trailed range was expanded to TRV 1500 and TRV 2000. Booms were up to 16 metres. From 1970 all tanks were made in poly-ethylene.
The Farverland factory was extended to 10,000 m2.
Market Denmark had more than 2,000 dealers, and a corporation with SHELL DK was important for the sales and service in Denmark.Export grew to 60% of the company’s turnover.
The demand kept on increasing, and another factory in Glostrup of 5,000 m2 was built in 1970 - a few hundred metres from the main factory at Farverland.
In 1971 Rasmus Sigvardt Maskinfabrik at Falster was acquired – a company producing mistblowers.
The mistblower production was in 1974 moved to a new 5,000 m2 factory building in Nørre Alslev. The factory be-came quickly too small and was extended step by step.
Logo was changed in 1974.
Farming data• Average size of typical Danish farm was 30 ha
(+88% in one decade)• Average yield in wheat in Denmark was 42 hkg/ha –
with the use of 80 kg N/ha• 173,000 persons were employed directly on the
farms in Denmark
Trends - machinery on the farmSelf-propelled combines. Investments in comfort on the machines started to take place. Ploughs with more than 2 furrows and with break-back as protection for stones.
Politics and technology
First man on the moon (1969), First micro processors in use, Denmark joins the common market (1972), Oil crisis (1973), Vietnam war ends (1975).
The constant change in farming and in the business environment in gener-al started a new era at HARDI. More focus on product development and manufacturing processes, administration, business systems (IT), and inter-nationalisation of the sales and marketing was implemented.
New range of lift mounted and trailed sprayers - MX and TRX with BK controls and tanks up to 2,400 litre - were introduced in 1978. With the RY-2 knapsack sprayer and the mistblowers, HARDI now had a complete prod-uct range.
During the late 70’s electronics were introduced into farming. This was driven by an increased demand for easier and more precise control of the sprayers. There-fore, HARDI in 1978 introduced the company’s first elec-
tronic spray control - the HARDI TRONIC.
Turnover in 1978 was DKK 83 mill.
Export rate was around 80%, and subsidiary companies were founded in Kenya (1978), UK (1979), Spain (1980), France (1981) and Canada (1982).
The Nørre Alslev factory was expanded to 26,000m2 in 1979, and HARDI invested in the sec-ond welding robot introduced in Denmark. At the same time one of the first powder painting systems was installed in Nørre Alslev.
Marketing became more professional with sales through: infor-mation, exhibition, demonstration, education and collaboration.Brochures in many languages and sales staff uniform were in-troduced.
Auditorium and a 1,400m2 showroom was built in Nørre Alslev during this period.
In 1986 HARDI received King Frederik the lX export award as a result of the company’s strong export efforts.
Farming data• Average size of typical Danish farm was 43 ha
(+43% in one decade)• Average yield in wheat in Denmark was 47 hkg/ha –
with the use of 125 kg N/ha• 82,000 persons were employed directly on the
farms in Denmark
Trends - machinery on the farmCabin mounted on almost all tractors and 4WD for handling the bigger im-plements. Power harrows and mechanized implements were introduced.
Politics and technology
Micro computers (1978), Broad band technology (1980), Invention of the CD (1981), Falkland war (1982), Tjernobyl melted down and Challenger disaster (1986).
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To expand and penetrate markets even more significantly, HARDI invested in products and new brands by acquiring:
EVRARD (1987) ILEMO (1988)
HARDI products as MASTER, MEGA and METPOLE were developed during this period, and the field sprayer model range was now available from 200 to 3,500 litres.
HARDI introduced the unique TWIN concept (1989).
COMMANDER trailed series was introduced (1994).ALPHA self-propelled series was launched (1995). METEOR trailer series (1997).
The company name changed to HARDI INTERNATIONAL A/S (1989).A subsidiary in Norway was included (1988).
Turnover was the highest ever - DKK 611 mill. (1989), and new Group head office and component factory in Taastrup was built.
Recession (1990-1993) due to farming restructuring, GATT negotiations and drought in Europe. The agricultural sector was calmed down in both Europe and USA. This had an impact on all farming investments and did also affect the result at HARDI.
The market picked up and made time for expansion again. – Cooper Pegler was brought into the Group (1996), and an
Australian production company was established (1996).
Farming data• Average size of typical Danish farm was 62 ha
(+44% in one decade)• Average yield in wheat in Denmark was 64 hkg/ha –
with the use of 140 kg N/ha• 45,000 persons were employed directly on the
farms in Denmark
Trends - machinery on the farmLarger capacity is demanded, self-propelled sprayers are getting into the market, air-seeders and combination sets are becoming more common, structural development in the farming is closing a lot of small farms, ex-tended use of winter crops due to EU legislation.
Politics and technology
Reunion of Eastern and Western Germany (1990), First Golf war, Disinte-gration of the Soviet Union and Windows getting common (1991), World Wide Web in function (1993).
From being a privately owned company HARDI in 1997 be-came part of a large conglomerate – Group Cheminova Hold-ing – later named Auriga Industries A/S.
The COMMANDER plus was introduced, the lift mounted sprayer MASTER was up-dated. These products were now the most significant HARDI products.
Launch of New COMMANDER trailed sprayer (2005).
Launch of the ‘intelligent sprayer’ COMMANDER i (2005-2006) and launch of the largest mass produced trailed sprayer – COMMAND-ER 9000 (2006-2007). RANGER was launched (2006-2007).
Launch of new medium range trailer, NAVIGATOR (2007) - HARDI has a com-plete global trailed product line with same design idea – Functional design.
Manufacturing factory in Australia was established (1996).The Australian market was consolidated by taking over the successful 5 importers’ activities creating one strong unit in Australia (2002).
The world’s largest producer of aluminium booms, Pommier, was acquired (1999).
New painting facilities at the Nørre Alslev factory.
Consolidation of production facilities with Nørre Alslev as the main plant of the Group. Restructuring of the production to large complex trailed sprayers including final test.
Shared service centres for Scandinavia, Germany, Austria, Poland and UK were introduced.
The COMMANDER concept receives more than 17 product awards (2005-2006).
Outsourcing of production of plastic and machining process-es (2006-2007) to achieve flexible capacity and lower capacity costs.
Farming data• Average size of typical Danish farm is 101 ha
(+63% in one decade)• Average yield in wheat in Denmark is 75 hkg/ha –
with the use of 80 kg N/ha• 35.000 persons employed directly on the farms in
Denmark
Trends - machinery on the farmPrecision farming is taking form, electronics on nearly all agricultural ma-chines, GM crops (generic modified) are becoming more common and mini-mum tillage growing in popularity.
Politics and technology
IT bubble bursts (2000), World Trade Centre (2001), First approved prep-aration to gene therapy and American forces goes into Iraq (2003) EU 25 (2004).
