Thirty years ago, LINAK U.S. Inc. was established in Louisville, Kentucky, marking a significant chapter for the company and the visionary leadership of founder and CEO, Bent Jensen. As the company celebrates this milestone, we reflect on the incredible journey that LINAK U.S. has navigated. Following its humble beginnings in a small garage in 1994, it quickly expanded beyond the constraints of confined space, leading Bent to face a pivotal decision that would shape the future: to take a huge risk with a significant investment or maintain the status quo. Fortunately, his decision to invest and expand resulted in LINAK U.S. contributing nearly a third of the global company’s sales three decades down the line. The decision to move beyond Denmark's borders and establish the first LINAK production plant outside of the country was a strategic embodiment of starting our global reach and a commitment to serving customers all over the world.
Embracing Challenges and Thriving
From its start in a garage—echoing origin stories of tech giants such as Apple, Amazon, and HP—LINAK U.S. demonstrated an innovative spirit and commitment to growth. This commitment is echoed in the company’s ever-increasing footprint. Starting from a single building with 49,500 square feet, LINAK U.S. now encompasses over 360,000 square feet across three buildings, with room to expand on the vast 39-acre campus. This growing infrastructure is a physical representation of thriving operations and future potential in the market.
Transformative Impact Across Industries
The company’s influence has been transformative in the US, helping to shape various industries with its technology. In the '90s, LINAK revolutionized hospital bed systems through close collaboration with customers. Spurring manufacturers to move from AC to DC powered movement they were able to provide a safer and more reliable power source for caregivers. It also didn’t take long for LINAK to become the pioneer in the height-adjustable desk market after developing the first complete system for sit-stand desks. And more recently, LINAK is helping move industries like mobile agriculture into the future with electrification, a trend that will continue for many industries as companies look to improve their applications as well as their overall carbon footprint. These milestones underscore the role LINAK has had as a catalyst for innovation in all the industries we serve.
People: The Heart of LINAK U.S.
Behind the numbers and the facilities are the people—the company’s greatest asset. From the first employee, Per R. Andersen, who relocated with his family to Louisville from Denmark to bring Bent's vision to life in the U.S. market, to a team surpassing well over 300 members—each individual has played a defining role. This growth and focus on people within LINAK has been fueled by the company’s passion for helping customers. With customer dedicated engineers, service, sales experts, marketing, and quality management all locally providing industry-leading support.
Looking ahead, Magnus Conradsen, president of LINAK U.S., sees this unique combination of local production and people, and global capabilities and knowledge as what sets LINAK apart.
“We are looking forward to this next phase of our growth here in Louisville,” said Conradsen. “As we grow, our ability to improve more people’s quality of life and working environment through our products also expands. ‘We Improve Your Life’ is reflected in everything that we do, and our commitment to customers at every level of our business is what will help us achieve this mission.” - Magnus Conradsen, president LINAK U.S. Inc.
A Vision Sustained: The Journey Ahead
As LINAK U.S. commemorates its 30th anniversary, the company looks back at a legacy of innovation and resilience but also forward to a future ripe with possibilities. Guided by the company’s values, its position as an innovation leader and its ability to drive change across a multitude of industries will continue to grow. This can already be seen with the company’s commitment to sustainability and the increased focus on the evolving customer expectations centered on the environment. Another example is in the electrification of the various industries the company serves where its products and solutions are tailored to meet each customers’ needs and help transform them into cutting-edge companies of tomorrow.