Vikan, technology, and people

This blog post is part of a brief series that celebrates Vikan’s 125th anniversary. We’ve dug into our archives to uncover stories that highlight key themes and milestones in our journey so far. Through these tales, we hope to not only honor our past but also give you a glimpse into who we are today as a company.

A worker must never be seen as merely a tool

Vikan’s 125 years of growth and its current status as a global market leader are closely tied to technology. Our founder, A.P. Pedersen, had no interest in farming like his ancestors, but he was deeply interested in brushmaking and woodworking techniques before founding what would become Vikan in 1898. After starting the company, he closely followed new manufacturing methods, such as task specialization, and invested early on in new technologies—like the electric drill—for producing wooden brush heads. In modern terms, Mr. Pedersen might have been called a “first mover.”

When Pedersen’s sons, Carl Vilhelm and Gunnar, took over in 1933, they had already spent time in Germany learning about the latest automation machinery, which helped drive growth throughout the 1930s. The company also secured exclusive rights to a machine that could produce 3,000 broom handles per day, and heavily invested in automation, from industrial drills to specialized ventilation systems.

The 1950s and 1960s were a time of modernization, expansion, and process rationalization for Vikan—automating where possible. This period culminated in the early 1970s with a shift to plastic materials and the launch of the revolutionary Vikan “White Series” of hygienic brushes, which helped establish Vikan as a major exporter of cleaning tools.

Since then, technological advancements have only accelerated. Vikan has pioneered innovations such as color coding, hygienic design in cleaning tools, Ultra Safe Technology (UST), and advanced online services. These innovations have driven progress in hygiene, growth for the company, and new industry standards and regulations.

Technology is not the whole story

Yet, while technology has played a vital role, it has never told the full Vikan story. Our people have always been equally important—and still are today.

In his memoir, *Life and Works*, A.P. Pedersen shared some remarkable insights about workers at Vikan and human labor in general:

"A worker must never be seen as merely a tool, like a machine … he must, like anyone else, be regarded as having his own will, as a human being with not just a body, but also a soul. He should therefore not be kept in the dark about the company’s order books and delivery deadlines. If he’s kept informed about such matters, he will feel that he’s involved, that he has been given responsibility. He needs to feel that if he does his work well, he’ll get ahead, and that if he does his work poorly, it will stand in his way. And he must understand that he has a say in whether he gets ahead or not."

We find these words extraordinary coming from the time when Mr. Pedersen lived, especially considering the importance of machines and technology at Vikan. But somehow, we’re not really surprised.

Vikan has long been a pioneer in what we now call “human resources.” From our early establishment of a company health program in 1912 to our Employee Association and OTHER initiatives today, we've always valued our people. An interesting point about Vikan employees is that they have never feared the technology—especially automation—that has been so crucial to our success. When people feel empowered, as they do here, they see technology as a tool for their own growth and job satisfaction.

Of course, the best way to learn what Vikan employees think about their jobs is to hear them tell it themselves. You can do that through these online video interviews.