FL jubilæumsbog EN 101123 web - Flipbook - Side 60
KURT
I SPEND TWO-THIRDS OF MY
WORKING HOURS TRAVELLING
Kurt Mortensen
“Hey, boss.” The Polish driver breaks
into a big smile when he spots Kurt
Mortensen. They talk for a few minutes.
Kurt asks how things are going and the
driver tells about life on the road.
The meeting takes place at Frode
Laursen’s logistics centre in Åstorp,
and it is not unusual to meet Kurt elsewhere than at his office in Vien.
“Around two-thirds of my working
hours are spent on the road. Our
drivers meet up for work at all our
locations, so I go out there to hear how
it’s going and strengthen relations
between us and them. It’s normal for truck
drivers to change companies frequently, but
many of our drivers have worked with us for 10,
15 years. I’m very proud of that.”
Kurt holds the title of Director of FL Trucking, but he also heads a number of other trucking companies in the Frode Laursen Group,
including ÅKM AB.
“Thorkil says it stands for ‘Åkeri Kurt
Mortensen,’” says Kurt with a cheeky smile.
DRIVER AND HAULIER
got a job as a dispatcher and operations manager at the haulage company Scanita until it went
bankrupt. What was le of the company was
taken over by Frode Laursen in 2009.
“My first task was to integrate all that was
le of our vehicles, equipment and customers
into Frode Laursen. One of the customers was
Nordic Wavin in Hammel, whom I started driving for in 1977 and have kept up with ever since.
They’re still our customers today.”
In 2010, Kurt was asked to join the
operations of FL Polska, where he has been
Managing Director since 2011. FL Polska is
registered in Poland as an independent Polish
company and is a supplier to Frode Laursen’s
Road divisions.
“Having the same owner does not give
us any advantages as such. We need to make
sure that we stay competitive. If we are too
expensive, Frode Laursen will try to find other
hauliers that can do the job cheaper. We’re
constantly striving to optimise operations and
recruit talented, presentable employees who
speak English and German. This is important in
order to be able to provide the service we want
at the lowest price.”
FL Polska has around 400 employees.
Kurt drove his first truck in 1977. He later ran his
own haulage company for 20 years. In 2005, he
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FRoDe LAURsen HesItAteD to estABLIsH ItseLF In PoLAnD