Gabriel 150 years - Flipbook - Page 34
the world resulted in crisis and a loss of jobs at
Kjærs Mølle.
The Korean War increased the prices of a
number of goods, including wool. In the light of
increasing sales, Managing Director Henry Petersen had committed himself to the purchase
of large quantities of high-priced wool. When
prices suddenly dropped, he was left holding
contracts for wool that was far too expensive.
Henry Petersen was sacked. Aage Larsen was
appointed new managing director and given
the difficult task of solving Kjærs Mølle’s problems. The situation was made worse by the
gradual lifting of import restrictions in the
early ±∫∂∞s. This meant that Kjærs Mølle faced
even stiffer competition from foreign goods on
the domestic market.
An architect’s drawing from ±∫µ∫, showing how the
Both the deficit and the debt to, among
main building would look after renovation.
others, Odense Kamgarnsspinderi increased.
In ±∫∂≤, Odense Kamgarnsspinderi together
fective technical leadership as well as dissatis-
with another large shareholder, A/S Bloch &
faction and unrest among the factory workers.
Behrens, had to decide whether to close Kjærs
In ±∫∂µ, therefore, the board decided to do
Mølle or to restructure the company. A deci-
some internal housecleaning, and began to
sion was made in favour of restructuring, and
look for a new managing director who could
Odense Kamgarnsspinderi converted ∏∞∞,∞∞∞
streamline Kjærs Mølle.
Danish kroner of its outstanding debt to shares,
while Bloch & Behrens converted ≥∞∞,∞∞∞
Zacho does some clearing out
kroner. The share capital was thus increased
from ± to ≤ million Danish kroner. As a part of
In the summer of ±∫∂µ, the board found a man
the agreement, Odense Kamgarnsspinderi agre-
they had faith in, the ≥≥ year-old works manager
ed to buy out Bloch & Behrens at a later date.
at Junckers Klædefabrik in the town of Randers,
This buy-out was completed in ±∫∂∂. Efficiency
Michael Zacho. Zacho was an engineer and, in
experts, among others, were hired to improve
addition, had studied textiles at the Tekstil-
the efficiency of the manufacturing process, and
hochschule in Zürich, Switzerland. He took over
the practise of work sharing was introduced. The
his new position in November ±∫∂µ, but already
annual report for ±∫∂≥ showed a reduction of the
in October of that year he received a letter from
deficit to ±µ≥,∞∞∞ Danish kroner, but in ±∫∂µ,
Edouard Saerens, managing director of Odense
sales were down; the deficit increased with
Kamgarnsspinderi giving him some impression
alarming speed and reached nearly half a million
of just how bad the situation was. Based on an
kroner in the first π months of that year.
audit of the accounts, Saerens concluded:
Aage Larsen was not able to pull Kjærs
“There are far too many people employed for
Mølle out of the difficulties. The enterprise was
the amount manufactured. By the same token,
characterised by management problems, inef-
the management provided by the executive staff
1945-1959
35
