Over the past nine months, most of my time has been spent where many business owners find themselves spending too much of their time, behind a desk.
Since acquiring Mount Packaging Systems, which has since become Mount Filling Systems, our focus has quite rightly been on rebuilding the business, strengthening our supplier relationships, supporting customers and putting the systems and processes in place that will allow us to grow well beyond where the business was previously.
The good news is that those efforts are beginning to bear fruit. We have assembled an excellent team. We have fantastic suppliers who support us. We have developed strong systems and processes, and there is now a real sense of flow within the business.
That meant I could finally do something I genuinely enjoy doing visiting a customer. Recently, that customer was Beck & Jørgensen in Denmark.
More Than Just a Teams Meeting
Like many businesses, we can achieve a lot through emails, telephone calls, Teams meetings and Zoom conversations, but some conversations simply cannot be replicated through a screen.
When you’re discussing the future of a business, understanding challenges, exploring opportunities and building long-term relationships, there is still no substitute for sitting across a table from someone and having a proper conversation.
That was certainly the case during my visit to Beck & Jørgensen.
Founded in 1892, Beck & Jørgensen has grown from the ambitions of a small group of like-minded individuals into one of Denmark’s most respected paint and coatings manufacturers. As a family-owned business with more than 130 years of history, they have built a reputation based on quality, reliability and continuous improvement.
These are values we understand and appreciate at Mount Filling Systems.
A Business Built on Purpose
What struck me most during the visit was not simply the scale of the operation or the impressive manufacturing facilities. It was the people. Every person I met demonstrated a clear sense of purpose and pride in what they do.
There was an energy throughout the business that is difficult to describe but easy to recognise when you see it. You could sense that this was an organisation with a clear direction and a strong culture.
I was equally impressed by the level of investment they have made in creating a highly organised and capable business structure.
Everything appeared to have been carefully considered and developed to ensure that customers can rely on Beck & Jørgensen in exactly the same way that they rely on the products they manufacture.
Trust is not something that happens by accident, it’s built through consistency, commitment and attention to detail over many years.
Seeing Our Machines in Action
One of the highlights of the visit was seeing the production process and watching our Mount Filling Systems equipment operating within their manufacturing environment.
As engineers, we spend a great deal of time designing, building, servicing and improving machinery. What we don’t always get to see is how those machines become part of a much larger production ecosystem.
It was rewarding to see how highly regarded the Mount filling line remains and how effectively it integrates alongside equipment from a variety of other machinery suppliers across the facility. Modern manufacturing is rarely about a single machine.
It is about how multiple systems work together to create an efficient, reliable production process. Seeing our equipment playing its role within that wider operation was a source of great pride for our team.
The Value of Specialist Retail
Another aspect of the business that particularly impressed me was Beck & Jørgensen’s retail strategy. Like many manufacturers, they supply products through distributors and retailers across Denmark and beyond.
However, they have also invested in their own specialist retail outlets, providing customers with access to their full range of products, technical advice and decorating expertise.
Coming from the UK, I found this especially interesting. Over recent years, we have seen many specialist retailers struggle as online marketplaces and e-commerce giants continue to grow.
Yet Beck & Jørgensen have successfully maintained and developed a network of specialist outlets that continue to provide real value to customers. It demonstrates an understanding that not every purchasing decision is purely transactional.
Customers still value expertise. They still value advice and they still value dealing with people who genuinely understand the products they are buying. All together there is something reassuring about seeing a business remain committed to those principles.
Looking to the Future
One of the most encouraging aspects of the visit was discussing the future. Like Mount Filling Systems, Beck & Jørgensen are not standing still, they continue to invest, innovate and look for opportunities to improve.
Those conversations are where the real value of customer relationships is often found. Not in discussing what happened yesterday, but in exploring what could happen tomorrow.
At Mount Filling Systems, we view our customers as long-term partners. Their success matters to us because, ultimately, their success contributes to our own. That partnership approach has helped build strong relationships over many years, and it is one of the reasons I enjoy visiting customers whenever the opportunity arises.
A Reminder of Why We Do What We Do
Leaving Denmark, I was reminded of something that is easy to forget when you’re buried in emails, quotations and project plans. Businesses are built by people.
The machinery we design and support is important. The engineering matters, the technology matters… But ultimately, it is the people behind those businesses that make the difference.
My visit to Beck & Jørgensen was a timely reminder of that fact.
It was a pleasure to spend time with a company that shares many of the same values we hold at Mount Filling Systems, and we look forward to continuing our partnership and supporting their success for many years to come.
