Obituary for Svend Aage Bertelsen, founder of HITSA

By Henrik Andersen, CEO of HITSA

Today, we say goodbye to the founder of HITSA, Svend Aage Bertelsen, who has passed away after a long illness. Our thoughts and gratitude go to Svend Aage – his hard work laid the foundation for what we are today. Our thoughts are with his family.

Svend Aage worked for VEKSØ for 20 years, mainly as an installer in Germany, before leaving to become self-employed. He started up Hitsa in a disused chicken coop in his back garden in Hejls and taught himself how to weld, sell, put together a catalogue, keep accounts and everything else required to run a business. In time, Hitsa moved to larger premises, still in Hejls, and by the time he sold it to the current management, in 2013, the company had 8 to 10 employees. Svend Aage was 70 years old at this point and ready to hand over his life’s work to others.

He ran his business with hard work, great frugality and extreme determination. True to character, he saved up for a few years before setting up Hitsa. He always felt that money should always be available before it could be spent, and if you could avoid spending money altogether, so much the better. Around 2003, Svend Aage made a decision that in his world was a huge gamble: the creation of a new catalogue. The following year saw turnover double. Svend Aage came from humble beginnings, and he wanted to show everyone that he could do well. He certainly succeeded in that. During his 30 years running Hitsa, the company never made a loss.

He was a demanding employer, who worked constantly and knew how he wanted things done. He expected the same from his employees. At one point, Hitsa took on two young apprentices, boys who had been abandoned by the school system. The tone at Hitsa was firm, with a clear framework. Both boys went on to become skilled metalworkers. Social responsibility was not a deliberate strategy for Svend Aage, but over the years, he gave many people a chance at Hitsa and effectively helped them move forward in life.

The business was built around, by and for the family. Throughout the years, his wife Inge played an indispensable part in his success. She kept the books, answered the phone and stepped in when needed, whether that was providing support or keeping an eye on a machine in the workshop. The name Hitsa comes from the family’s initials: Helle, Inge, Tina, Svend Aage and Allan. Everyone got involved when it came to compiling catalogues around the dining table at home. Both his son Allan and his son-in-law Knud still work at HITSA today. The culture at HITSA continues to be characterised by that sense of family spirit – we help each other and we work hard for each other.

Svend Aage Bertelsen founded Hitsa to be a strong and viable company with a focus on common sense, hard work and financial responsibility. This paved the way for Hitsa to become HITSA – the company we are today, where economic, social and environmental sustainability are highly valued, and where customer satisfaction and employee wellbeing are parameters of success.

We pay tribute to the memory of Svend Aage Bertelsen.

Photo: Olav B. Hansen (arkiv.dk), 1989