Finding Its Niche in Denmark

Oct 5, 2024|Company Spotlight|Kaija Wilkinson

Kaija Wilkinson
Oct 5, 2024

The stylish ground-level entrance

MinElevator brings OEMs and customers together to provide elevators for Copenhagen’s old apartment buildings.

images courtesy of MinElevator

Originally a Viking fishing village established in the 10th century, Denmark’s capital, Copenhagen, is a historic and forward-thinking city of approximately 1.4 million.^[1] The city’s public transportation system, which includes a metro, electric buses and super cycle paths, is top notch, but most of its old properties lack elevators, observes Niels Aalbæk Jensen, sales director and chief strategy officer (CSO) at MinElevator, part of MinGruppen, which also consists of MinAltan (sales and installation of balconies), MinPlatform (rental of work platforms) and MinRadvining (testing of old concrete balconies).

MinElevator was conceived by Jensen in 2019. At the time, he was an information technology contractor who saw “a new and untested business concept for the industry, adapted to Danish conditions, where MinElevator operates as a platform between customers and large, established companies.” Over the past five years, the company has established strong partnerships with OEMs Orona, KONE, Otis, Motala and TK Elevator.

Formally launched in May 2019, MinElevator hit the ground running, preparing offers for DKK280 million (Є37.5 million) and receiving orders for a double-digit million amount. Since then, MinElevator has consolidated as Denmark’s largest contractor for installing elevators in Copenhagen and Frederiksberg’s older apartment buildings. Jensen said:

“Copenhagen was primarily built in the 1800s to the 1900s, with 37,000 residential staircases without elevators. Only 10% of all apartment buildings have lifts in Denmark. This has created a large and growing demand for the installation of elevators, especially in Denmark’s old apartment buildings.”

MinElevator specializes in installing lifts in main stairwells, back stairs and in external towers using its self-developed KUBEN design for tower elevators. Suitable for installation in the medieval city’s narrow backyards and the Nordic weather, KUBEN was conceived by MinElevator head engineer and Chief Technology Officer Ryan Hald. It is designed as a modular system, which makes it easy to handle and install in Copenhagen’s old inner-city districts. Due to its unique design, KUBEN uses up to 50% less steel than traditional lift towers. “This makes the KUBEN tower far more sustainable and, at the same time, far more flexible and easier to assemble than traditional systems,” Jensen observed.

KUBEN is installed on several properties in Copenhagen with lifts from KONE and Orona. One of the latest projects is a KUBEN tower with an Orona elevator with a 90˚ entrance. The tower is built along the main staircase, where the windows have been converted into entrance areas for the landings on the main staircase. Jensen stated:

“We know Orona as one of the most flexible elevator companies in terms of design that is able to adapt their elevators to even the narrowest and crookedly angled shafts. MinElevator’s mission is to offer our customers elevators from all the world’s leading manufacturers.”

Jutland Roots and Balconies

MinElevator’s parent company, MinGruppen, traces its roots to a pair of young engineering school graduates from Aarhus in Jutland, a peninsula of Northern Europe that forms the continental portion of Denmark and part of northern Germany.^[2] They saw a need for modular balconies that customers could buy, design and install themselves. Existing solutions that included installation were simply too expensive for most. The founders’ concept, MinAltan, is today both patented and award-winning.

In 2011, Danish financial holding company Grundvig Invest A/S saw the potential in MinAltan and invested in the company, providing it with greater financial security and the ability to grow. MinAltan won the Entrepreneur of the Year Award in Aarhus that year for its concept, as well. In 2012, MinAltan opened a showroom in Frederiksberg and did away with the build-it-yourself approach in order to focus on its core service: “elegant balconies at a good price.” With interest in balconies strong and growing, MinAltan expanded with several new locations in Frederiksberg.

The company focused on product development, quality assurance and design optimization in 2016, with MinAltan experiencing major growth and welcoming many new employees the following year. In 2018, it established a strong advisory team to ensure the best possible customer service and guidance. MinAltan purchased two stores on Nordre Fasavej and today has one unified façade facing the street.

Original Elevator Concept Persists

As for MinElevator, it still operates on Jensen’s original concept: to serve as the liaison between major OEMs and customers to build bespoke, sustainable home elevators. As the population ages and Denmark strives to meet net zero by 2045,^[3] MinElevator continues to enjoy great success.