60 Years in Tønder, Denmark: A factory built on people and dedication

Today, March 11, 2026, Hartmann’s factory in Tønder, Denmark celebrates its 60th anniversary.

Since opening in 1966 in the southern part of Denmark near the German border, the factory has grown into an important part of Hartmann’s European production platform. But the story of Tønder is not only about production lines and technology — it is above all a story about people.

For six decades, generations of employees have clocked in at the site. Thousands of local residents have worked here over the years, and in Tønder and the surrounding area, it is difficult to find a family that has not had some connection to the factory at some point.

Many employees joined straight out of school. Others arrived in simpler ways — sometimes just by knocking on the door and asking if there was work.

And many stayed.

From stacks of trays to modern production

Employees who started in the 1980s remember a very different workplace.

Back then, production involved far more manual work. Egg trays were stacked high across the floors, and processes that are automated today were handled by hand. The workforce was significantly larger, and the factory looked and felt very different from today.

Over time, the factory has continuously evolved. Automation, improved process control, and modern safety standards have transformed the workplace. Yet some of the machines installed decades ago are still in operation today — a testament to the robustness that has characterized the factory since the beginning.

A workplace that became a community

What many employees remember most clearly, however, is not the machines — but the people.

The factory has been the starting point for friendships that have lasted a lifetime. Some colleagues have worked side by side for more than 30 years. Others have met their spouse here.

One employee recalls how he started as an apprentice in the early 1980s, later becoming a supervisor and eventually spending more than four decades at the factory. Along the way he even met his wife at the workplace — a story that reflects how closely work and community have been connected in Tønder.

Stories like these are not unusual.

For many employees, the factory has been far more than a workplace — it has been a community where colleagues have shared everyday life, milestones, and entire careers.

For 60 years, Hartmann’s factory in Tønder, Denmark, has been shaped by dedicated people and continuous development — and as Plant Director Søren Domdal Elstrøm says, the anniversary is also “a clear signal that we believe in the factory in Tønder and its role in the group.”

Investing in the next chapter

Today, around 350 employees work at the Tønder site, producing millions of molded fibre egg cartons every day for customers across Northern Europe and the UK.

As the factory celebrates its 60th anniversary, Hartmann is also investing in the future of the site with a new warehouse and production line that will increase capacity and support growing demand for sustainable fibre packaging.

For the company, the investment is a clear signal that the story of Tønder is far from finished.

After six decades of development, the factory continues to move forward — powered by the same dedication, craftsmanship and teamwork that have shaped it from the very beginning.