Danfoss Explained

Danfoss A/S
Type:Private
Industry:Fluid control equipment, pump, seal, valve manufacturing, climate & energy
Foundation:Nordborg, Denmark
Location City:Nordborg
Key People:Kim Fausing, CEO; Jørgen M. Clausen
Products:Refrigeration, air conditioning, the control of electric motors, the heating of buildings, solutions for renewable energy such as solar power and heat pumps
Num Employees:41,928 (2023)
Location Country:Denmark
Homepage:Danfoss.com

Danfoss is a Danish multinational company, based in Denmark, with more than 41,928 employees globally. Danfoss was founded in 1933 by engineer Mads Clausen.[1]

History

Beginning (1933–1966)

In 1933 Mads Clausen (1905–1966) founded Dansk Køleautomatik- og Apparatfabrik, later in 1946 the company name was changed to Danfoss. The first product was an expansion valve for refrigeration units, it was developed after studying imported valves from the US.[1]

In 1941, activities expanded to products for heating.[1] The thermostatic radiator valve was invented by Mads Clausen in 1943, later patented, and in 1952 promoted as an energy saving device.[2]

In 1945 about 224 people were employed at the first factory built at and around the farm where he grew up. There was no more room for expansion and a new larger factory was planned.[3]

In 1962 the company started production of power electronics, the first product was custom-built rectifiers, later in 1968 production of the VLT Frequency converter began, the first of its kind in the world.[4]
The company also expanded its activities into hydraulics, the first hydraulic component was produced in the factory in Nordborg in 1964.[5]

Mads Clausen died in 1966, at 60. Because his sons were too young to run the company, his widow Bitten Clausen took on the role as head of the board. The company had yearly sales of 500 million Danish kroner, and the factory had grown to 10,000 m2.[6]

Since 1966

Expansion into other countries started in 1956, when the company started to build a factory in Flensburg, Germany, which was completed in 1958.[7]

Danfoss Compressors GmbH, Danfoss' former domestic compressor division, was sold in 2010 and renamed Secop.[8]

China is also an important market for Danfoss. In 2013, two new factories were opened on the same day, bringing the number to seven. The Chinese market was the third largest for the company.[9]

In 2014, Danfoss purchased Vacon, a VFD manufacturer.[10]

Activities

The Danfoss Group manufactures products and provides services used in:[11]

Danfoss employs approximately 41,928 people worldwide with its headquarters in Nordborg, Denmark.[12]
In 2002 Danfoss joined the United Nations Global Compact, consisting of nine principles with social and environmental responsibility.

Bitten og Mads Clausens Fond was established as a self-governing institution in 1971 by Bitten Clausen.[13] Today, the foundation is the biggest shareholder in the company.

Controversy

World War II

In 2010, some Danish newspapers reported that Danfoss sold its products to Nazi Germany during World War II.[14] [15] They quoted the book Krigens købmænd ("Merchants of War") by Christian Jensen, Tomas Kristiansen and Karl Erik Nielsen, who stated that Danfoss sold goods to the occupying forces for 408,850 Danish kroner. According to Ole Daugbjerg from Danfoss, they did not trade directly with the Germans.

Later in 2001, it was cleared in the book Danfoss under besættelsen ("Danfoss during the Occupation") by Ditlev Tamm although other critics have claimed the book might not be neutral because Tamm was paid by Danfoss to perform the investigations.[16] [17]

Cartel

On 7 December 2011 Danfoss was fined 90 million euro for exercising a cartel with Embraco / Whirlpool Corporation, Panasonic, ACC and Tecumseh Products. The cooperation was entered with compressors from April 2004 to October 2007. The basis of the fine is the violation of free competition to the detriment of consumers.[18] [19]

Danfoss was fined 16.5 million Danish kroner in the United States. From October 2004 to 2007, the German subsidiary also entered illegal price agreements with competitors. The case in both the European Commission and the US is related.

See also

References

Further reading

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Danfoss . denstoredanske.dk . . 17 March 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190913002922/http://denstoredanske.dk/Erhverv,_karriere_og_ledelse/Erhvervsliv/Erhvervsvirksomheder/Danfoss . 13 September 2019 . da.
  2. Web site: Ikonisk Danfoss-opfindelse fyldte 75 år. Claus Møller Jensen . jv.dk . . 20 March 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200320122031/https://jv.dk/artikel/ikonisk-danfoss-opfindelse-fyldte-75-%C3%A5r . 20 March 2020 . da.
  3. Web site: Hans G. Rossing . Tidsskrift for Ingneniør og Bygnings-væsen . ing.dk . 25 October 2020 . da . 23 Nov 1945.
  4. Web site: Niels Chr. Larsen . Sådan gjorde Danfoss frekvensomformere til et guldæg . ing.dk . . 20 March 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20141004182935/https://ing.dk/artikel/saadan-gjorde-danfoss-frekvensomformere-til-et-guldaeg-170811 . 4 October 2014 . da . 12 Sep 2014.
  5. Book: Nordic Capitalisms and Globalization . 9780199594535. 20 March 2020. Kristensen. Peer Hull. Lilja. Kari. 27 January 2011.
  6. Web site: Tidsskrift for Ingeniør- og Bygningsvæsen . ing.dk . 20 March 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200320131057/https://www.e-pages.dk/ingarkiv/6241/?page=31&query=mads%20clausen . 20 March 2020 . da . 2 Sep 1966.
  7. Book: Bitten Clausen - historier fra et liv . 9788702065138. 21 March 2020. Jepsen. Gertraudt. 2008.
  8. Web site: Joint Press Release Danfoss A/S and AURELIUS AG. 7 March 2015.
  9. Web site: Bent Højgaard Sørensen . Danfoss buldrer frem i Kina . berlingske.dk . . 21 March 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200321103100/https://www.berlingske.dk/virksomheder/danfoss-buldrer-frem-i-kina . 21 March 2020 . da . 6 Nov 2013.
  10. Web site: Vacon to become part of Danfoss Group.
  11. Book: Major Companies of Europe 1990/91: Volume 1 Major Companies of the Continental Europe Economic Community . 6 Dec 2012 . Springer Science & Business Media . 69 . 9789400907973 . 10 June 2020.
  12. Web site: Danfoss A/s - Nordborg 6430 (Nordborg), Nordborgvej 81, CVR 20165715 . 2023-07-26 . gb.kompass.com.
  13. Web site: Bitten Clausen fylder 100 år . berlingske.dk . 20 October 2012 . . 17 March 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200317154637/https://www.berlingske.dk/karriere/bitten-clausen-fylder-100-aar . 17 March 2020 . da.
  14. Web site: Danfoss handlede med nazisterne . borsen.dk . . 10 June 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200610140911/https://borsen.dk/nyheder/generelt/danfoss-handlede-med-nazisterne-2oyk2 . 10 June 2020 . da . 20 June 2010.
  15. Web site: Danfoss handlede med nazisterne . www.bt.dk . 21 November 2000 . . 10 June 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200610144520/https://www.bt.dk/nyheder/danfoss-handlede-med-nazisterne . 10 June 2020 . da.
  16. Web site: Marcus Rubin . Slaget om historien . politiken.dk . . 10 June 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200529051552/https://politiken.dk/kultur/boger/art4938964/Slaget-om-historien . 29 May 2020 . da . 23 Feb 2002.
  17. Web site: Erhvervshistorisk Årbog 2013, 1 . tidsskrift.dk . 10 June 2020 . 53 . da . 2013 . Tamm, Ditlev: Danfoss under besættelsen, 2001. Ditlev Tamms undersøgelse af Danfoss var finansieret af virksomheden selv, der ville forfægte en artikelserie i Berlingske Tidende, hvor Danfoss blev anklaget for at have leveret armaturer til Tyskland. Af denne og flere kildekritiske årsager mødte juristen Ditlev Tamm siden kritik fra blandt andet historikeren Steen Andersen for sin fremstilling af virksomheden, som Tamm i det store hele frikendte..
  18. Web site: Rory Harrington . Danfoss hit with huge fine over price fixing cartel . www.beveragedaily.com . 7 June 2020 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200607135230/https://www.beveragedaily.com/Article/2011/12/08/Danfoss-hit-with-huge-fine-over-price-fixing-cartel . 7 June 2020.
  19. Web site: Danfoss hit by huge €90m fine . www.acr-news.com . 7 June 2020 . 8 Dec 2011.

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