A brief history of Palsgaard

He found his dream in the majestic 12th-century Palsgaard estate with its beautiful, fairy-tale manor house and breath-taking scenery of forests and coastlines.

Einar purchased Palsgaard Estate with revenues earned as a part owner of Southall, the world's largest margarine factory at the time, and from inventing the revolutionary cooling-drum process for the manufacture of margarine emulsions in the UK.

Today, the estate is still home to the Palsgaard company global headquarters and the largest production facility with further manufacturing plants in the Netherlands, Mexico, Brazil and, most recently, a new factory in Malaysia

2020

Palsgaard announces plans to invest €100m in Danish factory to more than double production capacity by 2024.

Turkish distributor Teknaroma is purchased by Palsgaard and forms our 16th subsidiary. 

2019

Palsgaard publicly announces that we have achieved our aim for global carbon-neutral production, two years in advance of our 2020 goal.

2018

Palsgaard Netherlands achieves carbon-neutrality by installing 840 solar panels and switching to biogas and wind energy.  

Birger Brix retires as Group CEO of the Schou Foundation after 27 years at Palsgaard.

2017

Palsgaard opens new application facilities in China and the USA and opens new sales offices in Kenya.

The 100 year anniversary of Einar Viggo Schou's invention of the industrial food emulsifier, Palsgaard Emulsion Oil is celebrated. 

Palsgaard's 2016 CSR report wins top award (again). The CSR Award is bestowed on companies that produce remarkable CSR reports and which act to inspire others.

2016

Palsgaard expands business activities in Brazil, purchasing the majority of the shares of Brazilian food ingredients company Candon Aditivos para Alimentos in December 2016.

New sales offices are opened in Italy.

Palsgaard Mexico achieves CO2-neutrality as step two in our goal is to achieve a zero carbon footprint worldwide at all production plants by 2020.

Palsgaard becomes able to supply 100% of our palm-based emulsifiers sustainably via RSPO SCCS certified segregated palm oil.

2015

Palsgaard's 2014 CSR report wins top award. The CSR Award is bestowed on companies that produce remarkable CSR reports and which act to inspire others.

New sales offices are opened in Ghana.

Palsgaard achieve CO2 neutrality at it's Danish plant. The goal is to achieve a zero carbon footprint worldwide at all production plants by 2020.

2014 

Margarine manufacturers in Asia gets new tools for their product development as Palsgaard Asia-Pacific in Singapore installs a margarine application center.

2013

Palsgaard's new 20,000 mt capacity emulsifier factory in Malaysia is inagurated on 20 August.
2012

The construction of Palsgaard's new 20.000 mt capacity emulsifier plant in Johor, Malaysia is kicked off on June 22nd at a ground breaking ceremony.

Palsgaard Mexico installs a new photovoltaic solar panel system. The facility becomes operational in August 2012 and will produce enough electric power to cover 80% of the facility's energy consumption.

2011

Palsgaard purchases the remaining 50% of shares in Emulsion Holland B.V., thereby taking over full control of Dutch PGPR manufacturer in Zierikzee in Holland, together with its South African subsidiary, Emulsion Holland South Africa.

Plans are announced to build a brand-new, state-of-the-art emulsifier factory in Asia. The capacity of the new factory exceeds 20,000 MT.

Palsgaard announces its ambitious goal to become CO2 neutral by 2020. On 1st January 2011 Palsgaard takes a major step forward by entering into an agreement to have all its electricity supplied from RECS-certified green energy from newly established wind energy sources.

2010

Grupo Bimbo, the world's largest cake manufacturer names Palsgaard "Supplier of the Year". 

Knud Brix retires as Chairman of the Presidium of the Schou Foundation after 62 years of dedicated service to Palsgaard. New Chairman is long term board member Rasmus Christiansen.

2009

The company converts from heavy fuel to natural gas as the main energy source for the company.

Palsgaard wins the "Wise m2" award initiated by Danish building society Real Kredit Danmark for its CO2 reductions.

2007

Palsgaard opens new subsidiaries in China and the USA. In addition to manufacturing products for the Chinese market, Palsgaard China Ltd. provides application development and testing facilities for its clients.

The company inaugurates its new esterification plant, increasing production of these types of emulsifiers by 500%. The esterifaction plant is part of a major investment plan started in 2004 and amounting to over €50 million.

2006

Palsgaard opens a new sales office in France: Palsgaard France S.A.S.

A new distillation plant is inaugurated at the factory in Juelsminde, Denmark.

2005

Palsgaard builds the largest privately owned straw-fired burner in Denmark, replacing heavy fuel oil as the heat source for the company.

2004

 

Palsgaard inaugurates a new spray-cooling tower and a new high-tech, energy-saving warehouse.

A new PGPR factory is built in the Netherlands.

2002

Credin A/S and its subsidiaries are sold to Norwegian company Orkla as a part of Palsgaard's strategy to focus on the manufacture and development of emulsifiers and emulsifier/stabilizer blends for the food industry.

Palsgaard opens a new subsidiary in Poland: Palsgaard Polska Sp. Z.oo.

2001

A new extruder factory is built at Juelsminde.

1999

 

Palsgaard R is established as a sales subsidiary in Russia.

Palsgaard Asia-Pacific PTE. Ltd. is established in Singapore. In addition to serving as a sales office, the company also offers application services to customers in Asia.

1996

Palsgaard establishes production facilities and pilot plants in San Luis Potosi in Mexico, Palsgaard Industri de Mexico, S. de R.L. de C.V.

1992

Knud Brix's son Birger Brix (born 1953) takes over as CEO of the Schou Foundation and as Chairman of the Board of Directors of Palsgaard A/S.

1990

In cooperation with Emulsion Holland B.V., a new sales office is established in South Africa: Emulsion Holland SA (PTY) Ltd.

1985

Herbert Schou dies aged 83. Emulsion A/S changes its name to Palsgaard A/S.

1966

Knud Brix succeeds Herbert Schou as CEO of the Palsgaard companies and as chairman of the board of the Schou Foundation.

1957

Herbert Schou had no children and, in 1957, the ownership of the Palsgaard companies was restructured from private limited companies to that of foundation ownership. The foundation, called the Schou Foundation, took over ownership of all the Palsgaard companies.

The mission of the Schou Foundation is:

  • To preserve Palsgaard as a pleasant place to work
  • To preserve and develop Palsgaard's cultural values
  • To control and support independent research companies
  • To share its profits

1953

Palsgaard opens its first international sales office: Palsgaard Verkaufsgesellshaft MBH & Co. KG in Germany.

1952

Together with his Dutch partners, Herbert Schou establishes Emulsion Holland B.V. Today, Emulsion Holland manufactures PGPR for use in the chocolate and confectionery industry from a factory built in 2004.

1949

Herbert Schou establishes Nexus A/S, an independent company focusing exclusively on research and development and which remains of crucial importance to Palsgaard's development today.

1948

Knud Brix (born in 1922) is employed as a personal secretary to Herbert Schou and a member of the financial department. He subsequently proves to be of great importance and influence to the future development of Palsgaard.

1941

Herbert Schou introduces the Palsgaard Foundation - a pension and profit-sharing scheme that still distributes part of the company's profits to its employees at the successful completion of each year.

Herbert Schou and his parents were very aware of the importance of employee values to the company, and both the Palsgaard medal and the Palsgaard Foundation have been and remain important factors in helping to create a sense of responsibility, community and esprit de corps in the Palsgaard companies.

1936

Herbert Schou establishes the company's first subsidiary, Emulsion G.m.b.H. in Germany, producing emulsifiers. The factory was destroyed during World War Two.

1933

Mrs. Elisabeth Schou, widow of Einar Viggo Schou, introduces the Palsgaard medal - a silver medal which, combined with a generous monetary gift, is awarded to employees who achieve 25 or 40 years of service at Palsgaard.

More than 270 twenty-five year medals have been awarded since. And in the past decade, Palsgaard has celebrated twenty 40th jubilees and four 50th jubilees, not to mention the 65th jubilee of Knud Brix.

1930

Herbert Schou establishes Credin A/S - a company specialized in the production of baking improvers, obtaining a unique position in Denmark as well as abroad. The company was sold to Orkla in 2002.

1925

Einar Viggo Schou dies aged 59. His son Herbert Schou (born in 1902) becomes the managing director of Emulsion A/S.

1920

Palsgaard Emulsion Oil is patented. Subsequently, Palsgaard A/S has since taken out more than 60 worldwide patents.

1919

Einar Viggo Schou builds an emulsifier factory, Emulsion A/S, close to the Palsgaard Manor.

1917

After four years of experiments, Einar Viggo Schou invents the Palsgaard Emulsion Oil (PEO), the world's first commercial emulsifier - an invention that revolutionized the margarine industry.

1913

Being an entrepreneur, Einar Viggo Schou wants to do more than just run the Palsgaard Estate, and in 1913 he establishes a trial margarine factory at Palsgaard.

1908

Einar Viggo Schou (born 1866) returns to Denmark after his successful margarine venture in England and purchases the Palsgaard Manor. He was also co-owner of Otto Mønsted Ltd., which at the time was the world's largest margarine manufacturer and inventor of the double cooling drum in 1907. Einar Viggo Schou wanted to return to Denmark with his family and to a place that was "beautiful and old", as well as functional. He found his dream in the Palsgaard Estate, whose history can be traced back to the 13th century.

1898

The Palsgaard Estate is purchased by Norwegian diplomat Wedel Jarlsberg, who was instrumental in establishing the monarchy in Norway. Part of the negotiations leading to Norway's separation from Sweden took place at Palsgaard around 1902.

1877

The German Schoenaich-Carolath noble family purchases the Palsgaard Estate.

1665

The Palsgaard Estate is purchased by Peder Reedtz, Chancellor to Danish kings Frederik III and Christian V. Reedtz was Chancellor from 1665 to 1675 and was subsequently established as the actual ruler of Denmark. Denmark was during this time ruled from Palsgaard, when he was in residence.

1400

The current Palsgaard Manor house is built.

1200

Palsgaard Castle is the stronghold of infamous regicide Stig Andersen Hvide, murderer of Danish King Erik Klipping. The Castle was destroyed on the orders of King Valdemar Atterdag in the 1340s.