History

inco Danmark was founded in 1922 by a group of small firms. They wanted to ensure the supply of high quality goods at reasonable prices by collaboration in purchasing. The purpose of the association was to gain economies of scale within purchasing of non-meat products such as wrappings and colonial goods.

The concept of inco soon proved to be an excellent idea, and the association grew steadily through the following decades. In the years through 1922 to 1969 the product assortment was expanded to include tinned goods etc. The group of customers and members remained steady and in 1968 sales reached a new peak level of DKK 27 millions.

The changes of 1968
In the year of 1968 two major changes took place. Firstly, inco got a new board of directors and a new CEO, H. Sejer Jensen, who set new and ambitious goals for the association. These goals were the basis of some interesting happenings in the history of inco. One of the happenings was the launch of a department in Slagelse, which should provide the advantages of inco to the butchers outside Copenhagen. The second change was the establishment of a nationwide cooperation with the local rings of butchers (wholesalers) on Funen and Jutland. The cooperation was named ‘inco-dan’, and worked as an umbrella organisation.

The expansion of 1969
The product assortment continued to expand, and in 1969 the independent company, inco-kød A/S, was founded. The company exclusively traded fresh perishable food and carried out its own meat-processing.

Further expansion in 1970
A new area of the food sector is welcomed as members of the association in 1970. An independent department of sales is established to serve the bakers and numerous bakery-goods are put on stock in Slagelse.

Expanding again
In 1977 inco buys ‘København’s Fiskehal’, to be in a position to supply fresh fish to the existing customers as well as to maintain and improve deliveries to restaurants and public institutions.

The laws of 1980
In 1980 the laws - the fundament - of the association undergoes some dramatic changes. From merely being a purchasing-association for butchers and bakers, inco decided to admit the catering sector as members. As a reaction to this change, inco experienced a considerable extension in its group of customers.

Frontal attack of the catering sector in 1990
In 1990 inco bought ‘Sjællands Catering’. This happened to enhance the firms position in the catering sector, geographically as well as on the customer and assortment level.

New leaders in the mid 90’s
In 1994 CEO H. Sejer Jensen retired and the accession of Ole Laustsen as new CEO took place. In 1995 the deputy through many years, Leif Broe, replaced the chairman of the board and Stig Christiansen entered as director of Economics. Furthermore, in 1996, a new team of leaders arrived to work with sales, daily operations and purchasing. By 1998 Stig Christiansen replaced Ole Laustsen as a new CEO.

inco withdraws from inco-dan
By 1996 inco in Slagelse and Copenhagen had reach a size that made the cooperation with the other inco-dan members a restraint more than an advantage, and inco thus withdraws from the association to become an independent company.

Expansion through more buying
In 1999 inco expanded even further by buying ‘Find Jørgensen A/S’, ‘Jens Pedersen & Søn A/S’ and ‘Møller & Melgaard’ and changed its name to ‘inco Danmark Møller & Melgaard’. Today the company has the largest sales organisation in Denmark as a total supplier in the food branch.

inco-dan disintegrates
In year 2000 inco-dan makes the decision to dissolve. inco Danmark Møller & Melgaard buys the departments of ‘inco Nord’ in Nr. Sundby and Hasselager and hereafter changes its name to inco Danmark to work as a nationwide supplier to the food-sector.