Dansand

Sand is not just sand

Who doesn't remember the joy of playing in the sandbox as a child with all the shovels, buckets and digging equipment? For some, sand has even become such a passion that they attend sand festivals and put a perfect finish on the whimsical natural material. There is something aesthetically beautiful about the sight of when the local sports and sports facility is straight.

If you want the optimal outdoor facilities, you would do well to choose Dansand as your supplier of materials. As Denmark's absolute sand specialist, the product range embraces everything from establishing a good playground, gardening or tiling.

At bels.dk, we are happy to dig out both Dansand 50 and No. 6 from the warehouse for your next industrial project. If you would like to know more about the brand, we give you a look behind the fine and diverse grains of sand that the company has supplied for more than 50 years for large and small, Danish and foreign construction projects.

380,000 tonnes divided into four business areas

Almost 400,000 tons of quartz sand lash out over the counter every year for all kinds of industry and construction, sports and leisure, environmental protection tasks and the GDS market. Here at GSV, Dansand products are sold for both business and private. They can be found on the shelves of more than 3,000 DIY stores, but if you want to avoid a difficult trip with the trailer, you can easily order in 20 and 25 kg portions right here and have it delivered to your door. This also applies if you, as a German, Dutch or Swedish building contractor or buyer, have to search beyond your own national borders to obtain construction sand. The ownership of Dansand A/S is divided 50/50 between PKB Holding and S.C.R. Sibelco Group – the largest quartz mineral producer in the world.

The first sod cuts...

The year was 1971, when the unique "white" sand left a safe mark on the 40 production employees, developers, sales and administration people at Dansand. But in fact, the success is just as much attributed to Silkeborg Kvartsand A/S, of which Poul Erik Beck was the founder. Silbeko, as it was originally called, had several gravel pits, including in Addit. The quality of the sand right here is so good that

Poul Erik throws himself into sorting the raw sand, then letting it go through a washing and drying process, and finally creating fractions that make it usable in Danish iron foundries. Purity and dryness are absolutely essential for the special needs of the foundry. Mr Beck therefore teams up with the Danish Technological Institute and in this way refines the white sand according to all the rules of art.

Only a few years later, the knowledge bank is robust enough to also sell to the concrete and mortar industry, among others. In other words, the real product value is only created if you know the material and utilize your knowledge.

Out on the green...

In the mid-80s, Silkeborg Kvartssand takes another step up the ladder when they land the first order for top dressing for a Danish golf club. One becomes several, and before we could at least learn how to putt for UG, the business areas now also include football clubs, riding arena facilities and leisure institutions. The company changes its name to the current Dansand A/S in 1986 and buys Dansand Lund Gravel Pit, which also enables them to deliver directly from their own factory, as full production facilities and sacking machines are included.

New initiatives are also taking place in the 1990s – Victor Jensen, as CEO, will also be responsible for day-to-day operations, while Poul Erik Beck will take over as chairman of Dansand's Board of Directors.

Competition is healthy and developing to a certain point, but Dansand instead joins forces with the acquisition of Sdr. Vissing Sand. The enterprising sand activities will be a win-win situation, as Karl Ladegaard Andersen will now have the opportunity to invest intensively in dry mortar under the brand Marlon Tørmørtel. Søby Works was also later shaped by Dansand.

Time for generational change

In 2000, his son Poul Konrad Beck joins the management, and the company will be significantly renewed over the next 15 years, especially through much greater production automation. The plant, Weber Saint-Gobains, formerly Optiroc, becomes part of Dansand the following year – and later also moves to Addit, where in 2002 a high-tech factory consisting of a robot-controlled packaging line and digital washing and drying systems that can be operated from home 24/7 will be built. The first grout sand products land on the do-it-yourself market in 2004, and production capacity is further expanded in 2007 and 2008 in both Vejle and Varde. But where the financial crisis hit hard and brutally in many places, the company stayed above the sand heaps with an independent sales, complaints and marketing department for the DIY area, and the products are still flying over the cash register in Germany, Norway, Holland, Belgium and England. At the same time, efforts are being made to sell directly to the retail chains.

Dansand Environment, fully automated plant and new people in central positions

In the years 2016 to 2021, the company also does not stand still as if there were a drought. They become a reseller of DANSAND® Blueguard and thereby establish a new business area. In order to keep the British in the customer fold, an agreement is made with a local quartz sand manufacturer, who will be responsible for DIY sales in English retail chains. Two years later, Dansand can provide its mortar and concrete customers with an even better service through the first fully automated readout plant. The trucks can be loaded around the clock without the involvement of employees. It is a company that never sleeps, not even in the management corridor. Thomas Steen Hansen will step in as CEO in 2019, and Poul Konrad Beck will be installed as Chairman of the Board of Directors.

Green responsibility

2021 was in many ways a diabolical year, as not only a virus had taken hold in society, but also a continued clear expectation of corporate responsibility for our common planet. With the acquisition of Tandskov Gravel Pit, all resources are put into making optimal use of the quartz sand deposit – and allowing ordinary types of sand to be used where the requirements are not as high.

As a 50th anniversary, it obliges to be in the world, which is why they have gone from traditional sand pits to a specialized raw materials company. The white quartz sand is no longer the primary ingredient, but instead contains all the knowledge and quality that makes Dansand so in demand.