DAMPA_75_years_of_quiet_design_ENG - Flipbook - Page 139
The 1970s was a challenging period for business generally
on account of the after effects of the 1973 Oil Crisis. Dæmpa
A/S was fortunately in a relatively strong position to overcome the era’s challenges. Being owned by a large and
well-established conglomerate, F.L. Smidth, was advantageous, as was the fact that a significant proportion of its
output was sold to public-sector clients. Indeed, during the
1970s, the Danish welfare state invested in built infrastructure on an unprecedented scale, meaning that ceilings were
required for numerous public buildings – schools, hospitals,
universities, libraries, transport facilities and so on.
With regard to sales of the DCC system, shipbuilding subventions and orders of new vessels for state-owned companies enabled large contracts to be won. During this period,
Dæmpa was led by Ole Stevens Larsen, who was appointed as managing director in 1972 and is remembered for
having been a hard task-master and a stickler for detail
which perhaps were necessary traits, given the challenging
commercial context. In 1976, he was superseded by Knud
Erik Nordby, who brought fresh thinking and, among other
initiatives, employed five young and dynamic sales staff.
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