About Danlamp
Profile
Since 1931 Danlamp has developed, produced and marketed incandescent light bulbs of the highest quality worldwide. Danlamp offer individual lighting solutions and professional lamps for clients that demand quality, beauty, precise luminous flux and long service life. As a unique service we offer tailor made solutions in small, middle-sized and big productions.
Danlamp strives to achieve the ultimate understanding of the wishes and demands of our customers. To secure the best possible solution we establish a close dialogue with our customers.
We constantly strive to strengthen our expertise within lighting technology and the development of innovative quality products. Danlamp has a proud history and has been one of Denmark’s leading suppliers of light bulbs since 1931. That’s what we are today – and that’s what we will be tomorrow.
Read more about Danlamp in our profile Brochure
History of Danlamp
Danlamp has produced incandescent lamps since 1931 and is the only remaining manufacturer of incandescent lamps in Denmark. The original name was Dansk Glødelampefabrik A/S and when the factory started production there were 10 employees. The factory manufactured the full range of lamps from 10 to 300W. The brand DAN was recognised for products of the highest quality.
Modern productions in the 1950s
In the beginning of the 1950s the production of incandescent lamps was increasingly automated and the factory in Aabenraa was falling behind internationally. The factory was manned with a stabile and skilled staff of employees, but did not have the production machinery to handle large-scale production. In 1951 a German engineer was employed to optimize production.
In 1966 the renowned Soren Madsen (SM™) bought Danlamp and changed the fate of the company in decisive ways.
Soren Madsen manufactured lamps in Copenhagen on a factory co-owned with Philips, but he was interested in a smaller factory for production of specialized lamps. Because of the increased competition on the world market Soren Madsen changed Danlamp’s strategy. Madsen invested in niche machinery and measuring equipment and changed the business focus to the international niche market for development and production of specialized light bulbs. Since then the export has risen to more than 80% of the total production.
Growth and bright ideas
Søren Madsen introduced a number of innovative lamps for Navigation lights and traffic signals. Madsen invented the low voltage traffic signal that is still used in the whole of Northern Europe. He also introduced new stronger signal lamps for rail roads in several countries here amongst Denmark, Norway and England. His innovative strong lantern lamps achieved certification according to several international standards – and have the additional advantage that they fit in to the existing electrical fittings of the ships.
Søren Madsen changed the brand to SM, a name that would fast become a well-known and respected international brand – especially within the shipping industry.
In the 1970s the market for decorative Edison lightbulbs grew. The Danish Churches needed a decorative light source that was stronger and less flammable than the candle light. This once again led to an innovation from the hands of Søren Madsen – the electrical Church candle. The Church candle became an instant classic and is found in most Nordic Churches today. This was the starting signal for the fast-growing market for decorative incandescent lamps.
In 1998 the company changed its name to Danlamp A/S and in 2007 the current owner Jan Vesterlund took over. Jan Vesterlund had been employed in the company as a production manager for 10 years – so he knew what he was getting into.
SOREN MADSEN – INVENTOR OF THE SM-LAMP
In the period from 1966 to 1984 Danlamp was managed by one of the great pioneers of the lighting industry, Soren Madsen. Soren Madsen advanced the development of incandescent light bulbs in both quality and design and is now acknowledged as one of the masters of light.
For a long period Soren Madsen was the main supplier for the Danish state and all employees in the state could bathe in the light of the SM-lamp.
MASTER OF LIGHT
Soren Madsen was a skilled electro-technician and founded a factory for production of light bulbs at the age of 33. This was in year of crisis 1929 – the year of the Great Stock Market Crash that sent its chock waves all the way to Denmark. But this hurdle could not kill the flame in the indomitable Soren Madsen.
Madsen invested in a variety of machines, amongst others a vacuum pump from a closed radio tube-factory. He had a daily production of 400 lamps – all branded SM. Madsen experienced harsh competition from Phillips and other international manufacturers and also faced great difficulties obtaining raw material. At several occasions Madsen himself had to go to Russia to buy wolfram wire and to the US to buy argon.