FL jubilæumsbog EN 101123 web - Flipbook - Side 17
THORKIL
A FANTASTIC OPPORTUNITY
It was not just a charismatic leader who sat
in Frode Laursen’s director’s chair in the late
1980s. Despite his young age, he was also a man
who knew what it was all about.
Because trucks have always been part of
Thorkil Andersen’s life. He came from Barrit
near Juelsminde, the son of a driver/haulier,
and when he became a business student in 1977,
he had already been given an apprenticeship in
the freight forwarding industry.
“But it wasn’t for me, so I took to driving
trucks.”
The following year, a lot happened in
Thorkil’s life: Besides driving trucks, he became
a haulier when he took over the remains of
his father’s business. Then, in 1978, he started
studying at Aarhus School of Business.
“At the same time, I started as a stand-in
driver at Frode Laursen. They transported meat
to Italy and France, and that’s what I wanted to
do. Driving for Frode Laursen was the highest
status you could achieve as a driver.”
Thorkil drove during his holidays and when
he needed to get away from his studies, and
he also used the company as a subject for his
main assignment: Strategic planning for Frode
Laursen. Aer graduating in 1984, he got a job
with the haulier in Vien.
ANDERSEN’S TAKEOVER OF FRODE LAURSEN
Aer a detour for a couple of years, he returned
in 1988 to a company on the verge of bankruptcy. It was Frode’s son, Niels Laursen, who
wanted him to join the board of directors and
become a shareholder.
“It was a fantastic opportunity and of course
came with great risk, but I thought that since
I was only 31, I still had many opportunities
ahead of me if things were to go wrong,” says
Thorkil, who is grateful not only for Niels
Laursen giving him the opportunity, but also for
the great partnership they created and subsequent contact they managed to keep.
When Thorkil took over Frode Laursen, the
company had built up a solid name in the industry over more than 40 years. So he
chose to keep the name, even though
it was now another family who ran the
family business: Thorkil, his wife Annie
and later his daughters Mira and Luna.
“Through all the years, Annie has
been an important sparring partner
for me. She has her big share of the
success Frode Laursen has had through
our daily discussions and her membership of the board of Frode Laursen and
the other boards in the group.”
FRoM LocAL HAULIeR to InteRnAtIonAL LoGIstIcs coMPAnY
15
Thorkil Andersen
