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The potato harvester manufacturer GRIMME Skandinavien has accumulated a long history since the company was established as Hyllebergs Maskinfabrik in 1919. See more at grimme.dk 100 years of close cooperation with potato growers ● ● ● ● 1919 – 2019 GOING FOR GRIMME Skandinavien In 2019 GRIMME Skandinavien celebrates its 100-year anniversary. The company was founded back in the day by Christen Hylle- berg under the name Hyllebergs Maskinfab- rik. Since then it has undergone an enormous transformation. ”Our father was a butcher, a farmer and a merchant. Then he started the company Hylleberg with his brother in 1919. After a number of years, Christen took over, says the founder’s son, Poul Hylleberg, who ran the company together with his brother Aksel Hylleberg for many decades. A familiar name in the industry In the period between world wars, Hyllebergs Maskinfabrik was already known for its potato harvesters, which were sold domestically and abroad up to the second world war. After the war, the focus was mainly on the Danish market. ”Our German competitors took over a large share of the market through the 1960s, and in the winter of 1969, we contacted GRIMME, which had entered the Danish market in the autumn. Hylleberg then took over sales of GRIMME’S potato harvesters, explains Poul Hylleberg, who started at the company as an apprentice that same year. Good service and sparring are crucial With a strong name in the potato industry, Hylleberg quickly drove up orders, and the transition from a production company to a trading company was relatively smooth. Over the decades that followed, the sons ran their father’s business until the third generation took over. ”In 2008 we underwent a generational change and, at the same time, changed our name to GRIMME Skandinavien, entering the Swedish, Norwegian and Finnish markets, explains Aksel Hylleberg. Since Michael and Heine Hylleberg began running the company together with partner Per Rasmussen, expansion in the northern region has been rapid. Despite the many changes that have taken place since 1919, one thing remains the same: ”Our interest in and know-how regarding po- tatoes is the vein that runs through everything we do. We use it to give customers the best possible service and sparring. As we see it, our job is not just to supply equipment. We are here to help potato growers to achieve an optimal harvest,” explains Aksel Hylleberg.
