This article is written by Søren Knudsen, Communications Manager at Business Lolland-Falster.
What do you do when the security of supply from Asia is threatened, but producing in Denmark is too expensive? S.E.W North Filtration in Maribo has chosen to automate its way out of the problem. As the first company in Denmark, they have implemented a robot-driven production facility that quadruples their production capacity. “We have gone from worrying about producing enough to now having to focus on selling the enormous quantities we can produce,” says Jacob Jacobsen, General Manager at S.E.W North Filtration.
S.E.W North Filtration has now been nominated for Lolland-Falster’s Business Award 2024 for its impressive financial results and sustainable profile.
Sustainability integrated throughout
S.E.W North Filtration produces filter cartridges for systems that purify air from dust particles, thus contributing to creating a healthy environment in companies worldwide. But sustainability is also heavily integrated into their own workplace. In 2022, S.E.W North Filtration moved to new and larger premises in Maribo Business Park, and this location was carefully selected. “We receive many trucks, and before, they came through the city with heavy traffic. Now we have the perfect location close to the motorway and with a direct route to our European market,” says Sales Director Lars Pedersen.
When building the new facilities, sustainability was a key focus. Therefore, the premises feature lighting systems that switch off automatically when not in use, heat pumps that run on green electricity, and heat exchangers that recycle heat. “We had a company go through everything to find the most sustainable solutions and check if there was anything else we could do. And now we’ve done everything that could be done in our buildings,” says a satisfied Jacob Jacobsen.
High-tech problem-solving
Innovative thinking permeates all aspects of S.E.W North Filtration’s business. For instance, the company’s regular working hours from 8 AM to 4 PM do not align well with the schedules of transport companies. They come from the Copenhagen area and often find it difficult to reach Maribo during the company’s operating hours to pick up goods.
Many companies would consider extending staffing hours, but S.E.W North Filtration has approached the issue differently. They are currently working on automating the gate so that drivers can scan a QR code to enter within a specific time window. Then, an AMR — an Autonomous Motorized Robot — will collect the goods and bring them to the truck. “Transport companies also see the benefit because it saves them time. We look forward to implementing this in the first or second quarter of 2025,” says Jacob Jacobsen.
A company with vision
With all these new initiatives, S.E.W North Filtration stands out from the crowd. They have a vision — a goal they aim to reach. The goal is Vision Plan 2028, where by 2028 the company’s production will be 80% fully automated. The plan is to compete with Asia through robots, automation, and digitization.
– Once we’re done, our direct labor costs on the product will be as cheap to produce here as they are in China, explains Jacob Jacobsen.
Both Jacobsen and Pedersen foresee a trend where more production companies will return to Europe, both to shorten transportation to the European market and thus save CO2, and because recent events have challenged supply chains between continents.
– That’s why I believe we will see more production in Europe for the European market and in Asia for the Asian market in the future, says Lars Pedersen, underlining that the future has truly come to Maribo.
