Award-winning entrepreneur, driven by curiosity and love for people, turns 70
In order to create a good place for people to work and a space for them to excel, you need a genuine interest in people. This has been the guiding principle for Hans Erik Bylling since he took over the family business some 40 years ago. The proof is rather incontestable – 650 employees, activities in 70 countries, and an annual turnover of €270m.
The man behind one of the most impressive business adventures in Southern Denmark in the past decade has reached a milestone. The co-founder of Aller Aqua, Hans Erik Bylling, celebrated his 70th Birthday on 15 March 2023, and looking back at seven decades of being part of what began as a family business over 100 years ago, he is ready to embrace what will be the fourth generation of Byllings.
The foundation for the family dynasty was laid in 1912 when Bylling’s grandparents, Frederik and Ane Kirstine, took over the operation of the local mill, Aller Mill. The couple developed the business to include fodder for traditional farm animals, and after Hans Erik’s father, Hans Joergen, took over, the high-quality fish feed was added to the portfolio, too. That, in particular, turned out to be a very good idea.
“My father succeeded in making dust-free fodder for pigs,” Hans Erik Bylling explains. “A Swedish consortium heard about it, and they asked him if he could develop a similar feed product for fish farming.”