Viking Celebrates 50 Years Of Saving And Protecting People At Sea

Viking Life-Saving Equipment is proud to announce the company’s 50th Anniversary, as well as the 50th Anniversary of its chairman of the board Tage Sørensen on February 1, 2010. The occasion will be celebrated at the company’s offices around the world with a grand reception held at Viking’s headquarters in Esbjerg, Denmark on the day itself.
50 years in business has turned A/S Nordisk Gummibådsfabrik, a small liferaft manufacturer with just a few employees in the Danish town of Esbjerg, into a global leader of a vitally important industry: maritime and offshore lifesaving equipment, enhancing safety of life at sea. The company’s international expansion was launched in 1977 with the establishment of a foreign subsidiary in Rotterdam. Today, with 52 sales and service facilities and more than 270 certified servicing stations, Viking is truly a global corporation, offering its customers the largest global safety network.

Viking is also the story of the Sørensen family. A family, who for generations has made its mark on the town of Esbjerg, as well as its port, and whose nestor, Tage Sørensen, established what is now Viking Life-Saving Equipment in 1960. Born in 1915, Sørensen grew up with the Scout movement and its ideals of honesty, responsibility, reliability and respect. The company continues to reflect these values today.

The new millennium has produced a rate of growth that is unprecedented in Viking’s 50 year history. The company now employs over 1,300 employees worldwide and its revenue is just over to $200 million, which represents a tripling over the past ten years.

CEO Kjeld Amann, who took the reins in 2000, remarks, “Reaching this anniversary milestone is a true testament to the ideas and values of our founder, to our employees and to the strength of our company’s business concept. Over the years, more than 2,000 people all over the world have worked together to make this company what it is today. We are very proud of our achievements over the last 50 years and happy to continue offering our customers first class safety products and services.”

“Today is a great opportunity for our employees to pause and acknowledge the accomplishments of the past,” he continued. “But it’s also a time to focus on continually improving our operations, our products and our services to ensure a long and bright future for Viking.”

The company’s and the chairman’s anniversary will be celebrated in the spirit of what is known as the Viking way with celebrations in all units around the world, including a bash at headquarters in Denmark and a special exhibition at the internationally renowned maritime museum in Viking’s hometown.

A privately held Danish corporation, Viking is a market leader in maritime and fire safety. Products are manufactured at five facilities in Denmark, Norway, Thailand and the US.

The company offers a choice of marine and offshore products ˆ standard or tailor-made ˆ that are certified to the latest requirements of IMO, SOLAS, EU and the USCG. These include chute and slide-based marine and offshore evacuation and embarkation systems, liferafts, lifejackets, immersion and work suits, pilot suits, transportation suits, man overboard (MOB) boats, davits and other life-saving appliances.

Contact Viking Life-Saving Equipment, 1400 NW 159th St., #101, Miami, FL 33169. 305-614-5800. usasales@viking-life.com.

By Professional Mariner Staff