Details

February 2021

Hjerno Tool Factory has found its new CEO

Hjerno hires a well-known profile from the plastics industry for the position of CEO. Co-owner and now former managing director Aage Agergaard will continue to be part of the company as head of business development and with close customer contact.

Denmark's largest manufacturer of injection moulding tools changes management and obtains its new CEO from one of the company's long-standing customers.

The new man at the head of Hjerno Tool Factory is Allan Hansen, who will take over on 1 March.

Allan Hansen comes from a position as sales director at the plastics manufacturer HN Group in Billund and has over 30 years of experience from the plastics industry. With his commercial profile and many years of experience in plastic moulding, he will strengthen Hjerno’s position as a tool factory that excels in both highly specialised tool production and technical consultancy.

“In a strong field of applicants, Allan was from the beginning one of our favourite candidates. Allan comes with a unique combination of deep, professional knowhow and thorough knowledge of the plastics industry as well as a unique understanding of the challenges our customers face on a daily basis. In addition, he has a well-documented commercial nose, which is difficult to find in our industry,” says Aage Agergaard, who has been managing director of Hjerno Tool Factory since 2004.

“At the same time, it may well be that some of his now former competitors are happy to get rid of the fierce competition from his side, and who may now instead benefit from him as a loyal partner, ” adds the now outgoing managing director with a twinkle in his eye.

Has followed Hjerno from a distance

Aage Agergaard still owns 1/3 of Hjerno Tool Factory and will in future have the title of head of business development, and will thus have even better time to contribute to the continued development of Hjerno’s great potential.

For Allan Hansen, who was originally trained first as a tool maker and then as an engineer, it is at the same time sad and exciting to say goodbye to the plastics industry and hello to the tool industry again.

“I have followed Hjerno Tool Factory for many years, including as a long-term customer of the house. It has always been a company I have looked up to. Aage and I share many of the same business values, and I come to a growing company with a good setup in the form of a skilled management and some fantastically skilled specialists who manufacture excellent tools,” says Allan Hansen.

Investing heavily in the coming year

Hjerno Tool Factory has existed since 1946 and currently employs approximately 65 people - including a large number of specialists in tool manufacturing, project management and plastic production.

The company, which supplies injection moulding tools to many of Denmark’s and Northern Europe’s toughest industrial companies, in 2019 had a new majority owner in the form of the equity fund VækstPartner Kapital. Hjerno Tool Factory has a strategic focus on expanding its position as Scandinavia’s leading tool factory over the coming years - amongst other things by continuing its investments in the industry’s most skilled specialists and in technology and production capacity and, consequently, by reducing delivery times.

Allan Hansen will help to further sharpen this strategic focus.

Knows the customers

“I come with a very customer-oriented focus in terms of my background in the plastics industry, and customers will also get to notice this. Among other things, because with my background in the plastics industry, I know what the customers need. As a tool factory and as a partner, we must become even better at sharing the creativity and specialist knowledge, which is Hjerno’s brand, with our customers,” says Allan Hansen.

“In short, I will help build a bridge between what customers dream of and what Hjerno can deliver. It requires me to get out and have a good chat with the customers, to which I'm really looking forward,” he concludes.

ALLAN HANSEN IN BRIEF:

• 52 years

• Trained tool maker and engineer

• 30 years of experience from the plastics industry, most recently as sales director in the HN Group

• Board member of the Plastics industry’s injection moulding section

• Resident in Vejle