From left: Sejer and Sønnichsen’s three owners, Hans-Christian Sønnichsen, Nicolai Sune Nielsen, and Henning Sejer, in front of one of the company’s distinctive red trucks – a special model converted into a bar.
After more than seven decades in the transportation industry, Sejer and Sønnichsen A/S is stronger than ever. However, growing and becoming the largest has never been a goal in itself, according to the company’s three owners. Instead, the growth is a natural result of the company’s ability to adapt to the needs of its customers and employees.
When you drive past the Aabenraa exit on the E45 near the Danish-German border, it’s almost impossible to miss Sejer and Sønnichsen’s large, new headquarters, which the company moved into last year. The distinctive red Sejer and Sønnichsen trucks are parked right next to the highway, and a bright red light highlights the company’s name on the facade of the main office.
Behind the illuminated walls, the company’s three owner-managers, Henning Sejer, Hans-Christian Sønnichsen, and Nicolai Sune Nielsen, go about their daily business. Here, they are busy managing Sejer and Sønnichsen’s nearly 50 employees and the company’s many different tasks for customers nationwide, which today extend far beyond “classic” transport tasks. In addition to transporting goods from A to B, Sejer and Sønnichsen is also a trading company that buys and sells goods to private individuals and businesses, such as sand and gravel. The company also has its own garbage trucks that collect waste from businesses, and recently, the modern company has started offering services such as the preparation of sustainability certificates, which are necessary for many of their customers’ CO2 accounting.
“We want to be a strategic partner for our customers and not just a supplier that delivers something from A to B. Therefore, it is important to us that we have many different levers that we can pull and offer our customers,” says Nicolai Sune Nielsen, who became part of the ownership group in 2021.
Maintained flexibility
The many business segments that have gradually been added are, among other things, a result of the company’s desire to be flexible and adapt to customer needs. And the company has managed to maintain this flexibility even as it has grown in size.
“We need to ensure that we have a business that is adapted to the reality we are in. Therefore, we listen to our customers, and then we go that way together with them. And we are quite proactive in looking into the future and seeing what is going to happen, for example by looking at other industries,” explains Nicolai Sune Nielsen.
“We have many different types of trailers and trucks, and we can combine them in all sorts of ways. So we can always be where there is good activity and where customers need us. And we have an ideal location right next to the highway, which allows us to move quickly and use our and our customers’ time efficiently,” adds co-owner Hans-Christian Sønnichsen.
A culture built on humor, respect, and trust
The ability to be adaptable does not come by itself. It requires skilled employees. And even though we are in a time of historically low unemployment, which many companies struggle with, this is far from the case at Sejer and Sønnichsen. Last year, the company hired 16 new employees, and the management team receives unsolicited applications daily.
“What I think hits the nail on the head is a good working environment. People know that we have fun, it is a nice place to be, and our conditions are in order,” says Hans-Christian Sønnichsen.
The good working environment is something that is cherished. Therefore, Hans-Christian Sønnichsen, who has the primary employee responsibility in the company, often looks to other industries for inspiration to break with some of the transport industry’s common cultures and frameworks. At Sejer and Sønnichsen, they want to be a modern and attractive company.
“For us, it is important that we work in an open space where everyone has the opportunity to be seen and heard. And we also respect people’s private lives. This means they can organize their work life according to what suits their private life and vice versa. We trust that our employees will complete their tasks,” says Hans-Christian Sønnichsen.
A step ahead – Also on the sustainability front
Sejer and Sønnichsen also want to be a modern company when it comes to sustainability and ESG. From 2025, all large companies with more than 500 employees must account for their CO2 emissions, which must be included in their annual reports. Although Sejer and Sønnichsen is not yet covered by the legal requirement, the modern company has already jumped on board.
“We are in the process of getting our own CO2 reporting in order. Even though we are not yet covered by it, we want to jump on board already now because we believe it will become a competitive parameter,” explains Nicolai Sune Nielsen.
We must keep having fun
There are no clear roadmaps for where Sejer and Sønnichsen will be in five years. But one thing is certain – it should still be fun to go to work.
“When all is said and done, we will continue to do what is best for the company, our employees, and our local community and surroundings. And it is important to us that we continue to be a company where we have fun,” says Nicolai Sune Nielsen with a big smile.
About Sejer and Sønnichsen A/S
- Sejer and Sønnichsen was founded in 1952.
- Sejer and Sønnichsen is rooted in Aabenraa Municipality but has customers all over the country.
- Until early 2023, Sejer and Sønnichsen operated in Fogedrup, but due to growth, the company moved to new larger premises at Egelund 39 in Aabenraa – right next to the highway.
- The company now has 50 employees.
Read more about Sejer and Sønnichsen here.
