Scanregn is one of Denmark’s leading irrigation systems and water transport suppliers with over 20 years of experience.
The company consists of 20 highly-skilled professionals within the pumps and pump service. On the 1st of August Claus Villekjær became part of the team – we called him to say welcome, ask him about his background and learn more about Scanregn as a company and family member.
Welcome, Claus! We’re so happy you joined Scanregn this summer! We know you have an impressive career behind you; want to walk us through it?
“After I finished my law degree, I started working in the education sector and as a consultant. After about 5 years in education, I established a consulting firm. It was a great firm, and I got some big customers, but like everything else that is great, there is always room for improvement. I felt that the consulting industry needed people with practical experience, not only theoretical expertise. I wanted to work somewhere where I could get practical experience, and after five years being my own boss, I started in Grundfos.”
Claus worked at Grundfos for ten years, stationed in both Dubai and Accra, Ghana, West Africa.
“In West Africa, I worked as the General Manager for all 15 countries. I’m grateful for this opportunity, and I learned a lot.“
The Turning Point
When Grundfos restructured its organization, Claus moved back to Denmark. For two years he was responsible for aftermarket sales in Europe, including the company’s investment in digital surveillance and monitoring of water networks.
“I wasn’t looking for new challenges, but when Rickard and Carl-Johan contacted me and told me about Scanregn, there was no turning back.”
After only 29 days as VD, Claus tells us Scanregn has exceeded his expectations. Both as a company and as colleagues.
“The company consists of highly competent and dedicated people. My impression of my colleagues is overwhelmingly good. It’s not a big company but a very healthy one. We have an annual turnover of 75 million danish kroner, which is very impressive for a team of 20. The cash flow is good; the buildings are owned and it’s just a solid business, inside and out.”
The Key to Growth and Development
Vestum and Lakers believe in maintaining control and decisionmaking de-centralized in a distributed network. Claus tells us this was one of the most compelling factors when Scanregn decided to join the Lakers Group.
“The idea behind a decentralized approach is giving authority and responsibility to those who know best — the people close to the customers. Decentralization is a key element for growth and development because it puts the power back into individual members’ hands and those with unique knowledge.”
To explain further, Claus says Scanregn has the perfect customer service model.
“For example, we have a support phone when it’s high season. Every day one from the team takes the phone home and can answer any time. Since we mainly deliver to the agriculture sector, where there’s a tendency to react when a problem occurs, we must act fast – the margin of error is small and the consequences massive. When there is no water, there’s no life. We have a big warehouse stacked with everything from big machines to small spare parts, so we are always in a position to deliver, and we have partners who make us able to send supplies at once or overnight.”
When you start with a new company, you try to ask yourself- why do the customers choose us?
“We bridge the gap between suppliers and customers, answer fast, and have essential knowledge, which makes the process smoother, safer and more sustainable.”
And for our final questions – what are Scanregn’s future ambitions?
“Firstly, being part of the Lakers Group is an advantage. In the future we want to establish even more collaborative synergies. We’ve already been in touch with Watman about the possibilities of launching desalination technology in the Danish market.
Secondly, Scanregn has enormous sustainable potential. Together with other partners, we have contributed to solid irrigation solutions in developing countries like Kaduna State in Northern Nigeria. That is very exciting for the company; we can combine sustainability with commercial opportunities and business – combining environmental sustainability and business efficiency is possible and very motivating.
Third and final, one of our most significant deliverables is irrigation. When there is drought in Denmark, watering of the agriculture sector stands for up to 1/2 of the entire water use in the country. As a company that sells irrigation solutions to agriculture, we are responsible for looking at more sustainable and effective irrigation methods with less water waste. It is a big challenge, and with that comes many possibilities.”
Read more about Scanregn and their expertise here.