40th anniversary: “It’s fantastic being part of Frode’s growth”
On 24 September 2024, spare parts manager Jes Alstrup can celebrate his 40th anniversary at Frode Laursen.
Before joining Frode Laursen, Jes worked as a spare parts assistant at Scania. In fact, it was through this position that he got the job as spare parts manager, as Frode Laursen and his son Niels Laursen were Scania customers.
“It was fun starting at Frode Laursen. Back then, we were Renault dealers, so we dealt directly with the French suppliers and attended trade fairs in Paris and Lyon. It was fascinating for a parts man like me. However, the social element has always been important, which is why I helped start the staff association and the employee association (the foundation), which still exist today,” says Jes.
In 1988 Thorkil joined, which saw the business shift into a completely different gear. We’ve been growing ever since as Jes puts it, and says that it has been an amazing experience.
“It’s been really fun. We have so much more stuff that I can no longer memorise all the chassis and item numbers in my head like I used to be able to. At the same time, so many new measures have been introduced while I’ve been here, as well as new technology such as refrigeration machines and gas-powered and electric trucks. Moreover, I’ve sat on the Board of Directors, and have been involved in implementing fuel security measures and designing the current logo. It is this job variety and development as well as wonderful colleagues which have kept me here all these years,” says Jes.
Jes lives in Sabro near Aarhus with his wife Jette, whom he has been married to for 28 years, and together they have two grown-up girls. In his spare time, he is part of Smukfest music festival, where every year since 1986 – except for one year due to the birth of his eldest daughter – he has been responsible for the cash transports.