Friendship was the start of a hydraulic adventure in Brønderslev
This year, the hydraulics company Serman & Tipsmark can celebrate its 20th anniversary, and two of the company's three founders still turn up for work every morning.
At 6.30 a.m. Claus Tipsmark clocks in at Maltvej 12, and shortly afterwards Per Kristoffersen places the first mug of coffee of the day on his desk. That is how it has been for 20 years. Together with a third man, Per Lenz, they founded the hydraulics company, Serman & Tipsmark in 1994. Today, the company has 70 employees.
Light in the shed
Serman & Tipsmark's roots can be traced all the way back to lower secondary school in Brønderslev, where the three founders friendship started.
"We always spent every weekend tinkering about with mopeds and cars and anything else we could get our hands on," says Per Krisroffersen.
Thus the foundations for the company were laid. The huge interest in mechanics and hydraulics has been an overriding feature of Serman & Tipsmark from the very beginning.
"There was seldom a time when you went down to Serman & Tipsmark that the light in the shed wasn't on. Even in the evenings or at the weekends. There was always work to be done on our own and our customers' motorcycles, cars and so on".
Rapid growing pains
So, the firm commitment that was – and still is – demonstrated at Maltvej 12 has borne fruit. However, what started as a local machine workshop focussing on the immediate area has gone on to become a global player within the hydraulics industry that counts companies like Siemens, Vestas and Danfoss among its customers.
"Serman & Tipsmark still supplies relatively simple hydraulics for, for example, excavators, but at the same time we construct large-scale advanced test systems and equipment for drilling platforms and power plants. We have supplied hydraulics for installations for controlling oil wells three kilometres down on the seabed," explains CEO Alex Laursen.
Other products are geared towards the wind turbine industry and include equipment for setting up wind turbines offshore and equipment for the actual manufacturing of wind turbines.
Today, the most important export markets are Norway, the Netherlands and Germany. However, from here, our products reach all corners of the globe, so Serman & Tipsmark's equipment can be found in the USA, Australia, Angola, Brazil and Thailand, to name just a few examples.
Serman & Tipsmark's premises are still located at Maltvej 12 in Brønderslev but have been extended several times. Moreover, the company has had to buy the neighbouring land to make space for the growing number of employees and activities.
In partnership with Sanistål
Right through the 90s, Serman & Tipsmark developed a close partnership with Sanistål and, in 1999, Sanistål offered to buy the hydraulics company. The owners decided to accept. The time was right and it provided a more solid financial basis for running the company in the way they wanted to. They have never looked back.
"Since then, we have been allowed to drive the company forward as if it was our own. We can't be anything but happy with that," enthuses Per Kristoffersen.
Crystal ball
Claus Tipsmark never imagined that he would still be working in Serman & Tipsmark twenty years later.
"I imagined that I would stay there for 5-10 years and that would be it. Normally, I don't think that it is necessarily a healthy thing for a company when the old owners hang around for too long.
But, it has worked remarkably well, both for the company and Claus Tipsmark and Per Kristoffersen. And time flies.
Claus Tipsmark firmly believes that the future out on Maltvej looks bright too.
"I would like to do my bit to ensure that the company remains a great workplace for all our employees. And that the good orders keep coming in so that we can continue in our position as a leading light in the hydraulics industry. Because we are, I am in no doubt about that."
For further information please do not hesitate to contact Serman & Tipsmark here.