History of KILDE A/S

From back premises to modern business

KILDE A/S Automation was founded in 1970 by Stanny F. Kilde who started repairing machines and tools in the back premises of the local laundry. However, he soon realized that prospects in respect of this business were poor and therefore after a few years concentrated on manufacturing custom-built machines. Later on this production took two directions; wood processing machines which were sold worldwide and automatic handling and processing machines for the iron industry.

This venture soon paid off and as early as 1977 the business had grown so large that additional space was required. The decision was made to move to the present premises on Ulvevej and more additions were made during the following years, among other things an administration building with a design office. The first assembly shop was built in 1977 and more were added so that there is now a total of six of which the two latest were built in 2007 respectively 2008.

In the early 1980s business expanded rapidly due to considerable orders from the Danish pump manufacturer Grundfos. Orders from other industrial branches like the train branch (Adtranz) resulted in new and challenging projects such as a milling machine for milling undercarriages and modular welding fixture with automatic welder, the largest one with a length of 52 metres.

The large and increasingly complex projects also resulted in a thorough modernisation of the design office, which had previously used “old-fashioned” drawing tables. In the early 1990s these were replaced by CAD and since 2002 Autodesk Inventor has been used for machine designing.

Automation projects for the electronics, plastics, pharmaceutical, machinery and wind industry also started appearing frequently in the order book and are to this day reflected in the wide range of customers counting for example Novo Nordisk, Coloplast, Kamstrup, Danfoss, Færch Plast, Grundfos and Siemens.

Today KILDE A/S is a modern business with state-of-the-art facilities in terms of both construction and product development as well as assembly shops for construction and running-in of complex automation and robotic solutions. KILDE A/S employs approx. 80 people with a long and extensive experience within integrated automation solutions, servo technology and robotic applications.

In 2005 KILDE A/S went through a generational change of ownership when the company was sold to the current owners Spar Vest Fonden and Holdingselskabet af 15.04.1999 ApS with Ejnar D. Andersen as managing director. The change was continued in 2013 when Peter Friis took over the leadership.