From a humble beginning to a leading position in Europe

Developments in Denmark

In the 1980s, Isabella recognised that Denmark was its most important market, not just because of the sales volume but also because close contact with caravanners and distributors at home meant that the company was in a position to develop and manufacture its awnings in response to the needs of the market, and to react rapidly when new trends emerged.

It is no exaggeration to say that the entire European awnings market was characterised by Isabella’s innovative thinking and efforts to improve quality.

Until the mid-1980s, all awnings were sold with galvanised steel poles. In 1985, however, the demand for greater mobility lead Isabella to develop a revolutionary fibreglass pole system, the IXL system. The new poles weighed far less than the traditional steel poles, and their strength and flexibility meant that the system was a very close contender in terms of quality. The main advantage, as far as touring caravanners were concerned, was that there were far fewer kilos to carry around, and that the awnings were far easier to erect.

1985 was also the year in which the largest awning on the market was launched. The pentagonal Penta, with its ingenious pole construction, did not require a support pole in the middle of the awning to hold the roof.

Despite Isabella’s optimism and hard work, the fac-tory found it difficult to keep up with demand in the first half of the 1990s. The company consequently acquired TeltLarsen in Odense in 1995, and set about adapting it for its own production.