The 29. October we held the open house event which was widely advertiset. There were many who chose to pay a visit. Almost all the seats were occupied.
We want to say thank you for the memorable day were many wanted to participate.
Here are some pictures from the arrangement. You can press on the photos to see them in a bigger scale.

Thorsens Chipskartofler A/S launches online transparency of quality in supply.

As the first European wholesale supplier of potatoes for the production of potato chips, Thorsens Chipskartofler A/S (Denmark) is now offering its customers access to a web-based information system containing unique data for each customer. By using the system, the customer can access detailed information regarding the quality of the potatoes under way to be delivered.

Thorsens Chipskartofler already delivers potatoes based on a “just-in-time” concept. This means that the customer can order potatoes a few days in advance, to be delivered by a specific time. Today all deliveries are quality checked and the results are sent to the customer. Now however, Thorsens Chipskartofler has invested in a new, state-of-the-art lab for quality analysis as well as an automated system for data collection for traceability and quality. The automated data collection minimizes the risk of error and allows the results from the analyses to be made available to the customers through the web-based information system.

CEO Erik Thorsen stated; “Our customers knows their potatoes before they see them”.

The new transparency of the delivery, which is unique for the industry, offers huge benefits for the manufacturers, as it will enable early planning of their production, adjusted to the actual potato quality possible. This will result in better chips and a more effective production. All data relating to deliveries are kept in a single digital repository, which makes it easy to retrieve historical data for analysis.

The investment follows just three years after Thorsens Chipskartofler spent € 3,5 mill., setting up the most advanced wash and sorting installation in Northern Europe.

CEO Erik Thorsen;”I expect that this investment will contribute substantially to continued growth in our exports, which has already grown by 60% since the investment made in 2012.  In the industry there is a huge demand for information regarding the commodities used. We are the first to deliver this information online.” Thorsen adds, “quality has always been high priority for us and we have monitored quality continuously. Now we have created a digital platform to share our information.” Finally Erik Thorsen says, “Our state-of-the-art lab has been established with our corporate values in mind. We want to be an attractive workplace and our lab will improve working conditions; by among other things eliminating heavy lifts entirely.”

The new facilities will be ready October 29^th and this will be celebrated with an open house event, which also marks Erik Thorsens 60^th birthday.

The open house event will be from 12 AM to 4 PM October 29^th. The press is welcomed on the day. Visits and interviews prior to the open house are also welcomed. Please contact PA Jannie Nielsen +45 4045 1157 for an appointment. Further information can be found at www.thorsens.dk.

The next 3 days we have a visit of 0. -3. grade students from Højgård School in Lind.
They have a project concerning potatoes, and would like to see how we store, handle and wash the potatoes before they become crisps.

You can click on the photos below, to see them in large scale.

Friday.November 28th. We held our annual Christmas party. Were farmers, shareholders, board of directors, staff and friends of the house was invited. 35 people agreed to be a part of this nice party.

Erik Thorsen startet this festive event by welcoming growers and employees, and thanking them all for their good effort in the past year.
The menu was the traditional danish Christmas buffet with herring, duck, pork roast and much more. We had also rented a soft ice machine, where people could take all the ice cream that they wanted.

Again this year It was a nice Christmas party, where all people had a great talk, and the dancefloor was used frequently.

All employees from Thorsens Chipskartofler A/S wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Thursday. November 13, we had a visit from 35 students from Asmildkloster agricultural college.

It was some polite and inquisitive young people. They had prepared some questions before they came to visit us, which is making a tour in the company more exciting. We started with a tour in the production and storage buildings, followed by a presentation by Erik Thorsen in the meeting room, where they got a refreshing drink and some potatocrisps.

21. November there was the general meeting at Thorsens Chipskartofler A/S

At the meeting both chairman Kurt Friis Jørgensen and director Erik Bech Thorsen reported for the past year. They were not pleased with the profit, but it was expected. This is due to a major lack of potatoes that had to be purchased on the free market, and the entire season was characterized by very high free market prices.

The board re-elected Kurt Friis Jørgensen, Ove Rieks-Pedersen, Henrik Jakobsen and Birgitte Juhl. When Jan Pedersen did not want re-election, Søren Westergaard was presented and then elected.

Søren Westergaard is director of H & S Westergaard A/S, which deals with pigs. He previously worked for some years in Germany with the start-up of a subsidiary.

The board subsequently elected. And Kurt Friis Jørgensen was re-elected as chairman and Henrik Jakobsen re-elected as vice chairman.

Saturday May 17th. the Danish Beekeepers’ Association visited us. In total 24 members was here, for among other things to see and hear about the company.

After Erik had introduced the company and the beekeepers on a walk around, he told about how to develop a company from a one-man company to a limited company. This subject was specially wished, because the beekeeping in Denmark have some economic rough times at the moment, therefore they are working with different solutions to improve the earning in the beekeeping. Among other things Erik told about the importance of clarifying the company mission and which goals that one has for the company. The importance of selling the ideas that one have, was also one of the things he told about.

We had some good and interesting hours with the beekeepers. That some shows interest in the things we are doing here in the company is always a joy. Besides the joy of showing the company, it is always inspiring to meet people who work with totally other things than we do.