History and References

Vestas traces its roots to 1896 when Smed Hansen bought a blacksmith’s in Lem, West Jutland - Denmark. It operated as a family business.

After the second world war Vestas was founded in 1945 by his son Peder Hansen as "Vestjysk Steel Technology A/S" (West-Jutland Steel Technology). The name Vestas is a derivative of this old name. The company initially manufactured household appliances, moving its focus to agricultural equipment in 1950, intercoolers in 1956, and hydraulic cranes in 1968. It entered the wind turbine industry in 1979, and produced wind turbines

Department for agricultural and contractor machines is established.

The engine maker Burmeister and Wain (B&W) needed an air cooler to cool the air from the turbocharger, which they were beginning to mount on large diesel engines.

Vestas got the formal enquiry from B&W in Copenhagen. They asked if it was possible for Vestas to produce air coolers, if B&W delivered all the drawings. Peder Hansen’s son in law, engineer Laurids Knudsen, was asked if he was interested to join the family company and start the production of air coolers up together with technical support from Burmeister and Wain. This was the start of charge air cooler production.  

The first of B & W's licensees became customers at Vestas, and the doors were opened to a larger market. Initially, the charging air coolers were delivered as inserts, but up through the 60s, the need for even bigger coolers increased, and for simplified mounting on the engines, the coolers were further developed, so they were delivered in built-in upright steel housings as finished module units.  

The crane factory is established with the production of smaller hydraulic lorry cranes.

Was the basis for the development of 2-stage cooling types founded due to the high oil prices. Here you recover the majority of the amount of heat that was previously sent with the cooling water from the charging air cooler directly into the sea. The recycled heat is used for space heating, for the heating of viscous oil or for freshwater production on board ships.  

The production of wind turbines starts.

 The glass fibre factory for the production of fiberglass components - mainly for wind turbines - is established.

The wind turbine department launches a newly developed cross-flow water turbine.

Vestas buys a company that manufactures small electric vehicles for internal transport in factories, airports and agriculture.

Vestas buys the company Wacond, which manufactures and sells cooling towers. The company will be placed under the refrigeration plant. This is the first incarnation of what is now Vestas Industrial Cooling.

Vestas refrigeration (Cooling) plant is sold to Aircoil Mysen in Norway, and changes its name to Aircoil Danmark A/S.

Cooler manufacturing is being bought back in Danish hands by the company's CEO Laurids Knudsen. The company formally changes its name to Vestas Aircoil A/S.

50% of the company is sold to Genua owned by Fleming Grunnet.

The company becomes 100% owned by Genua.

The subsidiary Vestas aircoil UK is established. This is the first international venture.

Vestas aircoil Cooling Tech.(Suzhou) Co is founded in Suzhou, China. Manufacturing begins in the Far East.

Vestas aircoil opens a subsidiary in Brasow, Romania.

Stability and growth. No major changes to the corporate nature of the business, just steady growth as one by one, we become the supplier of choice to engine manufacturers.