Our illustrious history on a timeline

  • 1891

    Ringsted & Semler is established

    In the beginning, wine and sherry are traded, and as a contact network is built, the range is expanded to various chemicals for different industries.

  • Sophus Semler resigns

    Alongside his work with Ringsted & Semler, Sophus Semler has a bicycle shop, and in 1899 Semler decides to step out of Ringsted & Semler to concentrate on his own business. It is founded as Scandinavian Motor Co. and to this day still stands for imports and sales of brands such as VW and Audi.

    1899

  • 1900

    Distribution of chemicals

    Around the turn of the century, the product range becomes solely concentrated on the sale and distribution of chemicals.

  • Sulfonamide and pneumonia

    The international crisis hits the sale of goods. Ringsted & Semler gets lucky, becoming an agent for an English pharmaceutical company, who shortly afterwards launch a sulfonamide preparation which is one of the breakthrough cures for pneumonia; the most common cause of death among people. Before the sulfonamide preparation the mortality rate following pneumonia was calculated at 34%. After treatment with the new preparation mortality dropped to 2%.

    1938

  • 1964

    Stock company

    In April Ringsted & Semler begins trading as a stock company. During the decade, trading of plastic raw materials becomes such a big business that the producers choose to control the sale of their products themselves. However, Ringsted & Semler A / S acquires new chemical commissions and moves more and more into the food industry.

  • Agent for AVEBE

    Ringsted & Semler A/S becomes an agent for AVEBE in the Netherlands, beginning with the sale of starch products for the food industry, and later for the feed industry. The arrangement continues to be a large part of the company’s work area to this day.

    1975

  • 1991

    100 years anniversary

    Ringsted & Semler A / S can celebrate its 100th anniversary. In connection with the anniversary, 35 employees have over 10 years of service: 9 with over 25 years of employment, 4 with 40, and 2 with 50 years

  • Ringsted & Semler A / S merges with Scandinavian Agro Food

    Ringsted & Semler A / S merges with Scandinavian Agro Food. Ringsted & Semler is the continuing company name, and now has access to a modern production facility and the challenge of producing goods that suit the integrated business trade. The customer portfolio is substantially expanded, with export customers in most of Europe and some overseas.

    2008

  • 2010

    Scagro A/S becomes a reality

    Ringsted & Semler A/S changes its name to Scagro A/S, which prepares the company for increased internationalisation.

  • Scagro’s Food Market beats records

    Scagro’s Food Market beats records and requires even more focus. It is no longer sustainable for the Fine Chem and Fragrance market to be handled by the Food Department. Fine Chem and Fragrance are considered to have further potential and the sales organization is strengthened in this area – this turns out to be intelligent foresight.

    2015

  • 2016

    125th anniversary

    Scagro A/S celebrates its 125th anniversary and at the same time introduces the newly developed Uni Pre-FER. The product sets a new standard in its field and becomes a great success.

  • Record turnover of iron products

    The turnover for iron products is the largest in Scagro’s history. The recession affects agriculture, which, in addition to 10 years of adversity, is hit by record low prices for their animal products and is affected by the worst drought in the century. The potato crop in the Netherlands – the foundation for Protastar Potato protein concentrate – is also hit hard and leads to a decline in their production.

    2018

  • 2019

    Positive development at Specialty Chemicals and Fragrances

    In 2015, the potential in the Specialty Chemicals and Fragrances business areas was prioritized. The area has since been strongly influenced by mergers and acquisitions – it was the right decision to upgrade in these business areas and revenue has developed very positively for Scagro A/S

  • Covid-19, the strength of diversification and birthdays

    2020 will be remembered by most for the effect of Covid-19, which particularly affected Scagro’s Food business and especially the ingredient section. The strength of Scagro’s diversification into several independent business areas has never been more significant!

    In 2020, the feed department could celebrate two major product birthdays.

    The iron product Agro-FER turned 20 years old and the hygiene product ScanHYG 15 years. The products are still among the department’s best-selling and still going strong.

    2020

  • 2022

    Scagro A/S is taking over the activities of AIS Feed ApS

    Scagro A/S is taking over the activities of AIS Feed ApS, which has utilized Scagro A/S for a number of years

    in the capacity of production and logistics partner. The two companies’ product ranges are a good match which provides exciting new opportunities and is cause for great optimism amongst Scagro A/S.

  • Scagro A/S buys CHEMAPACK AB

    Scagro A/S acquired the Swedish-owned company CHEMAPACK AB, which repackages and sells various chemical products in smaller packaging.

    2023

The historical details

1891

Ringsted & Semler is established by Knud Peder Ringsted, who on 24thSeptember, as a mere 25 year old, 1
gets a citizen’s letter from the Copenhagen Magistrate. Shortly after he forms a collaboration with wholesaler Sophus Semler on 26thSeptember. It is 1 year before the first car arrives in Copenhagen and it is a time when the number of telephone subscribers in Copenhagen has reached over 2,300. The annual salary for the bank director Tietgen amounts to the neat sum of DKK 50,000, – An amount that, of course, stretches slightly further than today, as a tailor-made suit cost in the region of DKK 55; a pair of shoes DKK 8; a whole bar of pastry 4 øre; and one could buy a dozen oysters in a restaurant for DKK 1. In the beginning, wine and sherry are traded, and as a contact network is built, the range is expanded to various chemicals for different industries.

1899

Alongside his work with Ringsted & Semler, Sophus Semler has a bicycle shop, and in 1899 Semler decides to step out of Ringsted & Semler to concentrate on his own business. It is founded as Scandinavian Motor Co. and to this day still stands for imports and sales of brands such as VW and Audi.

1900

Around the turn of the century, the product range becomes solely concentrated on the sale and distribution of chemicals.

1915

Women obtain the constitutional right to vote. Ringsted and Semler are at the fore front, hiring the first woman in the company’s history. After a few years she begins a relationship with one of the company’s employees and shortly after they are married at Copenhagen City Hall. Whereupon, she leaves the company to become a housewife.

1924

The first typewriter is acquired. However, the cash register is still written by hand and one of the ledger’s accounts is called “horse and carriage”; an account that first disappears from the cash register in 1924. At the end of the twenties, the consumer price index falls by 40% and several banks go bankrupt. Many small and large companies also go bankrupt, especially because it is difficult to get businesses financed – a problem that apparently goes back in history. In the post-war years, Ringsted & Semler still trades with a number of German suppliers, but due to high inflation, deals are made exclusively in Pound. At one point, German inflation is so high that, on the Berlin stock exchange, the dollar rises by 613,000 marks per second, making international trade very difficult.

1938

The international crisis hits the sale of goods. Ringsted & Semler gets lucky, becoming an agent for an English pharmaceutical company, who shortly afterwards launch a sulfonamide preparation which is one of the breakthrough cures for pneumonia; the most common cause of death among people. Before the sulfonamide preparation the mortality rate following pneumonia was calculated at 34%. After treatment with the new preparation mortality dropped to 2%.

1940

The sulfonamide business has given Ringsted & Semler some good years. Business is strongly based on foreign trade. This trade is subject to unprecedented restrictions due to the German invasion of 9th April. Against expectations, parts of the dealings with German suppliers is maintained, as well as trade with Swedish suppliers and customers. On the other hand, trade with England largely ceases. Some of the German suppliers collapse in the last years of the war for various reasons, and some are so unfortunate that they fall into the eastern block, which means they disappear completely for political reasons.

1947

Ringsted & Semler introduces a private pension scheme for trusted employees. This was one of the first private pension schemes, something that has become a standard custom today.

1959

With the aftermath of the war a completely new business area arises, as plastic is invented, and Ringsted & Semler sells various raw materials for this production. The significant increased activity means that the company’s staff is doubled in a short time. The war has created a lot of misfortune, but has also resulted in many newly developed products. One of them is Silicone and silicone oils, which up until present day have been a significant part of the business area. The decade is also characterised by progress in the office area. New technology is purchased, including a duplicator capable of copying a written document, and at the end of the fifties, a bookkeeping machine is introduced which was actually more or less in use until 1983.

1964

In April Ringsted & Semler begins trading as a stock company. During the decade, trading of plastic raw materials becomes such a big business that the producers choose to control the sale of their products themselves. However, Ringsted & Semler A / S acquires new chemical commissions and moves more and more into the food industry.

1975

Ringsted & Semler A / S becomes an agent for AVEBE in the Netherlands, beginning with the sale of starch products for the food industry, and later for the feed industry. The arrangement continues to be a large part of the company’s work area to this day. Today, the company and its factory are located in Gesten, Jutland. Throughout the 1980s, society sees rapid development, with many agencies changing: Some die out and others are introduced.

1991

Ringsted & Semler A / S can celebrate its 100th anniversary. In connection with the anniversary, 35 employees have over 10 years of service: 9 with over 25 years of employment, 4 with 40, and 2 with 50 years. During the nineties, the development of the Internet creates new ways of communicating and new ways of getting in touch with both suppliers and customers. Commissioned agent work becomes difficult as companies can now create direct communication with customers. After the turn of the millennium, Ringsted & Semler A / S initiates a collaboration with Scandinavian Agro Food ApS, which produces various kinds of feed and supplementaries for agriculture. For the first time in history, Ringsted & Semler A / S is part of an actual production, where previously it had focused exclusively on business in trade.

2008

Ringsted & Semler A / S merges with Scandinavian Agro Food. Ringsted & Semler is the continuing company name, and now has access to a modern production facility and the challenge of producing goods that suit the integrated business trade. The customer portfolio is substantially expanded, with export customers in most of Europe and some overseas.

2010

Ringsted & Semler A / S changes its name to Scagro A / S, which prepares the company for increased internationalisation.

2011

Scagro A / S intensifies its export efforts and strengthens organisation of the Feed department, whilst simultaneously investing in further product development. Scagro has had an underlying philosophy that Feed products should be based on prevention rather than treatment. This philosophy is further reinforced in all subsequent progress.

2013

Requirements for quality management, food safety, data acquisition and documentation are greater than ever – Scagro strengthens the organisation within the “Regulatory” department.

2015

Scagro’s Food Market beats records and requires even more focus. It is no longer sustainable for the Fine Chem and Fragrance market to be handled by the Food Department. Fine Chem and Fragrance are considered to have further potential and the sales organization is strengthened in this area – this turns out to be intelligent foresight.

2016

Scagro A / S celebrates its 125th anniversary and at the same time introduces the newly developed Uni Pre-FER. The product sets a new standard in its field and becomes a great success.

2017

A year in which the turnover for the Food department, combined with a distribution surge, increases so much that a food warehouse is established and opened.

2018

The turnover for iron products is the largest in Scagro’s history. The recession affects agriculture, which, in addition to 10 years of adversity, is hit by record low prices for their animal products and is affected by the worst drought in the century. The potato crop in the Netherlands – the foundation for Protastar Potato protein concentrate – is also hit hard and leads to a decline in their production.

2019

In 2015, the potential in the Specialty Chemicals and Fragrances business areas was prioritized. The area has since been strongly influenced by mergers and acquisitions – it was the right decision to upgrade in these business areas and revenue has developed very positively for Scagro A/S

2020

2020 will be remembered by most for the effect of Covid-19, which particularly affected Scagro’s Food business and especially the ingredient section. The strength of Scagro’s diversification into several independent business areas has never been more significant!

In 2020, the feed department could celebrate two major product birthdays.

The iron product Agro-FER turned 20 years old and the hygiene product ScanHYG 15 years. The products are still among the department’s best-selling and still going strong.

2022

Scagro A/S is taking over the activities of AIS Feed ApS, which has utilized Scagro A/S for a number of years

in the capacity of production and logistics partner. The two companies’ product ranges are a good match which provides exciting new opportunities and is cause for great optimism amongst Scagro A/S.

2023

Scagro A/S acquired the Swedish-owned company CHEMAPACK AB, which repackages and sells various chemical products in smaller packaging.