Showroom at AVK in Skovby, Galten, Denmark

Our story

From local shop to global scale

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In 1941, Aage Valdemar Kjær established AVK as a local machine shop. The main task of the business was the production of compressors for refrigeration and refrigerating plants for customers from all over Denmark.

His guiding principles were quality, continuity and close customer relations. He knew that the products were in order, and therefore he was able to offer an extensive product guarantee. These guiding principles were important values, which I brought along when I took over his machine shop in 1970.

These values have made AVK grow from a local firm with 5 employees to a Group with +5,300 employees supplying products to customers worldwide.

Our Expect...AVK brand concept helps us reach even higher. We must expect more from ourselves and deliver products and services that live up to and exceed our customers' expectations. This is why I expect that every single one of our employees worldwide will do their utmost to live up to these goals.

The guiding principles and the connections back in time must form the basis of our principles in the time ahead. This way, AVK will also be the safe choice in the years to come.

Niels Aage Kjær

Chairman of the AVK Holding board

AVK goes international

The story of AVK begins with Aage Valdemar Kjær, who opens a machine shop in Galten, Denmark, and whose initials are visible on countless valves, hydrants and accessories across the globe. In 1970, his son, Niels Aage Kjær, takes over and develops his first gate valve.

Up through the 1970s and 1980s, products are exported to numerous European countries and the first sales companies are founded. New factories are built in UK, USA and Saudi Arabia to meet the demand for local production.

By the late 1990s, factories have been acquired in France, the Netherlands and UK, new factories are built in Poland and Australia, and a lot of new sales companies have opened. AVK now also exports to the Far East, Latin America, South Africa and all over Europe.

1941

AVK Maskinfabrik A/S is founded in Galten by Aage Valdemar Kjær.

1970s

Own rubber production is initiated at AVK GUMMI A/S and sales companies are founded in Denmark and the Netherlands.

1980s

New factories built in Denmark, UK, the USA and Saudi Arabia. AVK Tooling A/S and Flonidan Gas Division A/S founded in Denmark. Sales companies founded in UK and Norway.

1990s

New factories built in Poland and Australia. Companies acquired in UK, the Netherlands and France. Sales companies founded in Belgium, France, Spain, South Africa, Hong Kong, Poland and the Philippines. License agreements are made.

AVK goes global

10 years into this millennium, exports now also cover countries like Ukraine, Cambodia, Kazakhstan, Romania, Bosnia Herzegovina and Turkey. Companies have been acquired in Denmark, Germany, Switzerland, UK, the Netherlands and the Czech Republic, including a stake in a Japanese company.

In the following years and up until today, large investments and acquisitions have been increasingly in focus, counting multiple acquisitions in Germany, Spain, France, UK, Italy, Norway, Croatia, the Netherlands, Australia, Brazil, South Africa, and the United Arab Emirates. AVK now exports globally, also counting countries like Ivory Coast, Kenya, Ghana, Georgia and Kyrgyzstan.

Download a detailed version of our timeline

Participants at the Global Sales Conference 2018

2000s

New factories built in China and Malaysia and large acquisitions made in Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Czech Republic, UK, Switzerland, and Japan. Sales companies founded in Sweden, Germany, Italy, Brazil, Vietnam, China and India.

2010s

New factories built in India and Brazil, and AVK Advanced Castings is established in China. Large acquisitions are made in Germany, Norway, UK, Spain, Italy, Australia, South Africa, Brazil and UAE. Sales companies founded in Korea and Finland.

2020s

Large acquisitions are made in the Netherlands, Croatia, UK, France and Spain. Sales companies founded in Malaysia, Egypt, USA and Hungary.

2024

The AVK Group now counts +5,300 dedicated people and more than 100 companies. We focus on developing even more intelligent, efficient and sustainable solutions.