History
In 1939, grower Carl Jepsen purchased 5 ha. of land at Norring Mølle, and today this is the home of one of Denmark's largest potted plant nurseries – A nursery that has grown to 99,515 m2 of greenhouses over 40 years. In 1962, Knud Jepsen, the son of Carl Jepsen, took over half of his fathers nursery, and together with his wife Ellen, they established their own nursery in 1963. In the beginning, they produced cucumbers, Begonias and Kalanchoës, but later the production was limited to Kalanchoë. Knud Jepsen obtained his knowledge of Kalanchoë during his traineeship (1958 – 1960) with grower Alfred Jensen. It was also here that he met Ellen, whom he married in 1963. After having toured Europe in a caravan, they started their own nursery in September. They built four greenhouses of 550 m2 each, and in the meantime Alfred Jensen had planted the first boxes for the launch of the nursery.
The production area has been expanded to approx. 14,000 m2 during the last 12 years to accommodate the growing demand for Kalanchoë.
In 1975, the nursery Birkehøj at Trigevej in Søften was purchased. This increased the total area of the nursery from approx. 14,000 m2 to 23,000 m2, and the output was increased by approx. 50%.
In 1982, the nursery built a new stock plant department of 1,200 m2. The stock plants should guarantee the yearly output of 3 million potted plants. The year after, a breeding department of 4,430 m2 (incl. production area) was built.
To ensure the future of the company, the nursery was converted into a limited company in 1983.
Knud Jepsen and his colleague Poul Hejndorf established Skjoldvang A/S in 1984 as an alternative to Kalanchoë. Poul Hejndorf had started Skjoldvang in 1964. At that time, Skjoldvang held 14,000 m2 of greenhouses, where they produced potted miniature roses. The nursery was a great success and was soon expanded, and in 1988, the greenhouses comprised 24,000 m2, the same as today. Jens Jørgensen later purchased Skjoldvang, and today it has been merged with the nursery Gartnerierne Ove Nielsen I/S.
In 1985, the greenhouses built by Carl Jepsen in 1947 were demolished to give place to new, up-to-date and more cost-effective greenhouses.
Competition from the Netherlands was severe, and it was necessary to produce larger quantities at low costs. In the spring of 1990, the nursery's biggest investment so far was commenced – the Norring department. The plan was to build an extension of 38,000 m2 of which the first stage of 19,000 m2 was finished in May 1990. It was almost a doubling of the greenhouse area from the previous 24,000 m2 to 43,000 m2, plus the 9,000 m2 at Birkehøj. Sales per year were increased from approx. 6 to 10 mill. plants. The production was automatised in line with the most up-to-data principles, involving computer-controlled temperature, humidity, CO2 application and sprinkling.
In 1993, Knud Jepsen a/s was among the first applicants to set up a Total Energi Plant (a local combined heat and power plant). At that time, two gas engines of 1 MV each were able to provide 77% of the nursery's heat consumption. The annual gas consumption was 3.5 mill. m3, and the electricity consumption made up approx. 12 mill. kWh corresponding to the annual consumption of 2,500 single-family detached houses. Concurrently with the expansion of the nursery, two additional engines were set up in 1997 and 1999. In 1998, a natural gas based CHP plant was also set up at Birkehøj. In the autumn of 2002, the sixth Total Energi Plant engine was set up, and at the same time a new heating station, which is to ensure any future expansions, was set up.
In 1997, after finishing business college and a Bachelor of Commerce degree (Organisation and Company Management), Frands Jepsen, the 3rd grower generation, joined the company as its managing director, and at the same time he became co-owner of the nursery as part of the planned generational change. Frands was trained as gardener at PKM and Jørgen Petersen, and later, in 1992, he was employed at his father's nursery. Before this, he was a shop furniture salesman in England and Ireland, and plant salesman in the Netherlands for a few years. Since 1997, the nursery has been expanded with 27,000 m2. A new packing area, a product development and a new administration and canteen building have been added, and 4 new gas engines have been set up.
The continuously growing exports of cuttings to the US, Canada and Japan were the main reason for adding a new greenhouse department, the Højvang department. The first stock plants section on 5,000 m2 was built in the autumn of 1995. Since then, the cutting sales have increased from approx. 3 mill. to approx. 14 mill. cuttings per year. This has required an additional expansion of 3 blocks at Højvang, so the total stock plants area now makes up 27,000 m2.
During the late years, the Birkehøj nursery has been renovated and modernised. Recently, changing rooms and canteen facilities have been modernised, and an expansion of the greenhouse area of 4,500 m2 are done.
Today, the total greenhouse area constitutes 99,515 m2 of which approx. 27,000 m2 are for stock plants. Approx. 13 mill. Kalanchoë are sold as grown plants, and approx. 14 mill. are sold as cuttings. The nursery is one of the world's leading breeders and receives royalties from horticultures around the world that sell the varieties of Knud Jepsen a/s. Recently, the Refshøj area (6 ha. of land south of the nursery) has been levelled, and the preparations for the future expansion have thus been concluded.
Queen® Kalanchoë is a result of more than 40 years’ experience with the cultivation of Kalanchoë and more than 25 years of our own plant breeding and research work. The nursery is constantly seeking new varieties and from 1,000 crosses each year, approx. 40,000 seedlings are produced, often giving rise to 3 new varieties after 3–4 years of testing. Our main emphasis in crossbreeding is on bright colours, large flowers, durability and eco-friendly cultivation.
The latest addition is Queen® Kalanchoë RoseFlower®, a range of exclusive and highly decorative Kalanchoë varieties with rose-like buds. The plant is romantic and highly decorative to look at even before the buds are out.
Buds and flowers alike are very full and some varieties have more than 60 petals. Feedback from consumers as well as participation in fairs and trend seminars provide the inspiration for new floral colours and standards. Queen® Kalanchoë has also gradually been bred for suitability for outdoor use in tubs and flowerbeds from May till October. Queen® Kalanchoë varieties are tolerant of rain and wind, sun and drying out, but not frost.
