2024
2024
Pro-Automatic opens sales and service department in Northern Jutland
Pro-Automatic A/S, with over 30 years of experience in electrical panels and headquartered in Holsted, is now ensuring that the distance to customers in Northern Jutland becomes shorter.
"The choice of Northern Jutland is far from coincidental. In recent years, we have acquired many new projects and customers in Northern Jutland – and they want us in the local area. We are now acting on that and moving closer to our customers by opening a sales and service department in Nørresundby," says CEO Michael Schrøder.
Customers benefit from shorter response times
A local department means that customers in Northern Jutland will experience shorter response times, faster inspections, and Pro-Automatic will have the opportunity to engage more closely in the development of electrical panels projects.
"Customers in Northern Jutland want more presence and collaboration, which is why we have expanded our sales team, ready to meet their needs. Simultaneously, automation processes in our production are a high priority, and we continue strategic investments in new technology, digitization, and process optimizations. Thus, we maintain production in Denmark - close to our customers - and stand stronger in a competitive market. The Northern Jutland customers will now benefit from this," says Sales Director Peder Pedersen.
Pro-Automatic has already appointed the first service technicians and project engineers with experience in electrical panels at the Northern Jutland branch. At the same time, Northern Jutland has a strong technical educational environment, so additional employees will continuously be attracted to the local department. Employees in Northern Jutland will also benefit from the expertise of Pro-Automatic's more than 200 electrical panels specialists in Holsted and Albertslund.
The green transition is of colossal importance for Pro-Automatic's growth and development. This means a massive boom in new technologies, energy optimizations, and the transition to green power. Pro-Automatic is dedicated to - in close collaboration with customers and partners - developing new high-tech electrical panels solutions for various sectors to meet market demands.
Good projects are developed in close collaboration with customers
"Collaboration and close contact with customers are crucial for the development and implementation of future electrical panels that meet customers' needs and quality requirements. We aim for close and loyal collaboration with our customers, and our more than 30 years of experience and innovative solutions are intended to benefit our customers," says electricial contractor Jacob Hegnet Kjærgaard, who is the Project Manager in the new department. Jacob brings 10 years of experience in the construction of electrical panels, especially for new constructions like hospitals and larger commercial buildings.
Pro-Automatic's new department is establishing in existing buildings on Bouet Møllevej in Nørresundby and looks forward to welcoming customers.
Peder Pedersen and Sonni Tønder join Pro-Automatic's board of directors
Pro-Automatic has experienced significant growth and positive development in the last 5 years. To strengthen the company for further growth and development, organizational changes are being implemented. This means that prominent profiles with in-depth knowledge of the company are joining Pro-Automatic's board of directors, along with the hiring of a new production manager.
Current Production Director Sonni Tønder is appointed as Director of Development and becomes a part of the board of directors. Business development at Pro-Automatic needs reinforcement, given the existing potential, and several of the company's business areas need to be developed.
Sonni Tønder has a strong entrepreneurial spirit and has been crucial for Pro-Automatic's development over the past 5 years. Employee growth has also been expansive, with the company increasing from 119 to 208 employees during this period. Sonni is a passionate leader, adept at attracting new employees, developing existing ones, and has been an engaged mentor for the 8 apprentices in the company.
"Sonni makes things happen! The production has evolved over time from a 'craftsmanship company' to a production company, and Sonni has diligently scaled up production to where Pro-Automatic stands today. With extensive knowledge of Pro-Automatic, he is well-rounded and therefore the right fit for the position of Director of Development," says Michael Schrøder, Director.
Green transition has led to the expansion of the sales organization
Sales Manager Peder Pedersen is appointed as Sales Director and becomes a part of the board of directors. Peder Pedersen has been with the company for a total of 24 years, possessing an in-depth understanding of Pro-Automatic, the customer portfolio, and a strong professional profile.
Over the past 3 years, Peder has grown and developed the sales organization, passionately driving the sales team's growth, especially in orders related to the green transition, including solutions for solar parks, charging stations, PtX plants, and infrastructure redevelopment.
"I look forward to strengthening the board of directors with individuals like Sonni Tønder and Peder Pedersen. They lead Pro-Automatic as if it were their own company and ambitiously take on development tasks. Simultaneously, they are able to engage employees and leaders in development, ensuring the desired goals and results are achieved," says Michael Schrøder.
Experienced production leader Niels Kristensen joins as the new production manager
Sonni hands over the production responsibilities to 50-year-old Niels Kristensen. Niels comes with more than 32 years of production experience – 28 of which were in the Velux Group – in production management, including the setup and implementation of ISO systems, LEAN implementation, and production optimization across factories in Europe.
Niels is passionate about employee and team development, ensuring that employees are strengthened and developed in line with the company's growth and the need for competence development.
"For a while, I've had my eye on Pro-Automatic because I find the culture and passion to be truly exceptional. I look forward to leveraging my skills and experiences to further strengthen production, develop employees, and, most importantly, retain production in Denmark," says Niels Kristensen.
The strategic organizational changes in Pro-Automatic will take effect from February 5, 2024.
Meet Jan B. Pedersen – he is part of the calculation team at Pro-Automatic
Jan B. Pedersen - one of Pro-Automatic's professional specialists - is someone our employees and customers turn to when seeking expertise, particularly in distribution panels. Jan has accumulated over 30 years of experience in the industry, working as a workshop manager, sales manager and, for the last 18 years, as a calculator, specializing in distribution panels. In early 2023, Jan joined Pro-Automatic as a calculator.
"Jan provides strong technical support to the sales team. He works daily at both Fleks Tavler in Vejle and Pro-Automatic in Holsted, connecting the two companies more closely and strengthening collaboration. He is diligent, meticulous, and provides excellent customer care. Therefore, he is a perfect match for Pro-Automatic's values, and customers also highly appreciate Jan's expertise," says Peder Pedersen, Sales Director at Pro-Automatic.
Strong professional network at Pro-Automatic
Jan is a humble person who prefers to highlight his colleagues rather than himself when we ask him. The easiest way to meet Jan is over the phone or in a Teams call, as he flexibly moves between his home office, the office in Vejle, or in Holsted, and thrives in this setup.
Throughout his extensive career, continuous education has been essential for Jan, and he has consistently supplemented his professional background as an electrician and electronics engineer. Hence, energy advisor, energy technologist, and leadership training are also listed on Jan's CV.
"I highly value the professional network at Pro. There are so many strong competencies among my colleagues, and specialists who have the exact knowledge one seeks, and I appreciate that. We have many employees with plenty of experience in electrical panels. However, I also find that the younger employees bring fresh competencies and new tools to Pro-Automatic," says Jan.
The green transition means busy times
Jan joined Pro in 2023 to support the company's growth and development. The green transition has brought busy times to the company, and to meet market demands, more calculators were needed to support the sales team. Jan covers a wide range and handles everything from "simple" calculations to the large and complex projects that are increasingly common at Pro-Automatic.
"It's exciting to contribute to the green transition. We calculate many quotes for electrical panels for solar cell installations and charging stations, delivering to both small and large players in the market. Our Service department also experiences high demand as many existing electrical panels need to be modified due to the green transition, so we have initiated several development initiatives to keep up," concludes Jan.