From a humble beginning to a leading position in Europe

The Isabella name

Opinions differ as to how Søren Odgaard came up with the name Isabella for his products. One of the most widely accepted theories is that the name came from a beautiful classic car of the time, the Borgward Isabella. Another theory is that he was inspired by a beautiful Spanish queen of the same name. In an unguarded moment, Odgaard himself said that he thought the name sounded beautiful, elegant and dignified – just like his products.

In the garage in the cellar at Grejsdals Landevej, he opened a rental outlet for tents, air mattresses and gas heaters. Even at this early stage, future caravanners were given a taste of Søren Odgaard’s ability to communicate simple advertising messages. One of the first ads for his new rental business read as follows: “Go on holiday when you want, and stay where you want, for a krone a day”.

It was a straightforward enough message, and it enticed a steady stream of customers to visit the outlet in Grejsdalen to try this new, exciting type of holiday for themselves.

Many were so impressed that they wanted to buy the equipment they had hired, and in just a few short years the rental outlet was transformed into a sales and production company.

By 1959, business was so good that Søren Odgaard decided to manufacture the first of his own products. Just a year later, his continued success led him to purchase the old station building in Grejsdalen, which had recently been vacated by Vandelbanen’s railroad. The premises were modified to manufacture tents, but not before Søren Odgaard had found a gifted upholsterer in Vejle who could handle the technical aspects of the production process.

At this time, the company focused solely on ex-factory sales, and the products were exhibited on the nearby meadows in Grejsdalen.

Rapidly increasing sales, combined with the almost insatiable appetite for camping exhibited by Danes, meant that production and sales soon outgrew the old station building.