Colleagues honour the Grand Old Man of the Danish camping industry |
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Last Wednesday, Mr Søren Odgaard, one of the pioneers of the Danish camping industry, was honoured by his colleagues with a newly established award. Mr Odgaard is the founder of the Danish awning factory Isabella, and he was the first chairman of the Danish camping industry association Camping Branchen. Mr Odgaard received the award for his many years of work for camping life in Denmark. The award was presented to Mr Odgaard on 19 November in connection with the 25-year anniversary reception of the association at the Hotel Munkebjerg in Vejle. “Camping has always been close to his heart, and even though he has now transferred the daily management of Isabella to others, he still goes to work every day. He contributes greatly to the industry; he is, for example, chairman of the executive committee of the foundation Isabella Fonden, which provides considerable funds for the marketing of the industry and which has donated 40 playgrounds to various campsites in Denmark, ” says Jytte Detlefsen, chairman of the Camping Branchen. In 1957 Mr Odgaard founded Isabella, which is Europe's largest awning factory with 180 employees. 21 years later he was the prime mover behind the merger of the Danish associations of manufacturers, dealers and importers, now known as the Camping Branchen. He continued this work as the first chairman of the association. “The association has never held a stronger position than today, and I'm convinced that that's the reason why the number of campers is larger than ever before. During the past 25 years the Camping Branchen, and not least Mr Odgaard, has contributed to putting focus on camping as a wonderful way of holidaying,” says Jytte Detlefsen. |
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As chairman of the executive committee of the Isabella Fonden and of the board of directors of Jydsk Camping Industri 84-year old Søren Odgaard is still an active player in the industry, and he always emphasises outdoor life as the basic part of camping. “It's been so since my family and I first camped in a small ridge tent by the sea in the mid-1950s. It was such a wonderful experience that I wanted to share it with others, and it was quite simply the driving force behind the idea of establishing Isabella. I shall always have a love for outdoor life,” says Mr Odgaard. |
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Mr Odgaard, the first chairman of the industry association Camping Branchen and founder of Jydsk Camping Industri, received the newly established award from the current chairman, Jytte Detlefsen. |
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Text photo: http://www.campingbranchen.dk |
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