1884 - 1901
Vestergade 21, Randers
In July 1884 Ernst Hoff's widow sold the match factory in
Randers to Just Abildgaard, Peter Justesen and councillor
Michael Michaelsen, which together had formed the limited
company " Aktietændstikfabrikken Merkur" .
As one of the first employees was the Swedish match technician
Kruckenberg that came from Jönköping and by his guidance , they
built the factory on the latest Swedish pattern.
The next year the
production was increased .
Over the next years increased the Copenhagen factories the price
competition so that Merkur had to reduce the price of 13.50
kroner per.
1000 boxes (per mille ) to 7.50 kroner, which meant that there
was no longer earnings in the company.
Merkur were therefore forced to conclude an agreement on prices
with the Copenhagen factories and for again come to make a
profit , they had to increase the efficiency of the factory.
In 1898 they purchased an automatic filling machine which with
only 2 boys or girls' efforts could fill 45 to 50,000 boxes a
day.
During 1900, Private Bank President Axel Heide was working on
merging the Danish matchstick factories and in 1901 he managed
to gather the Copenhagen factories , P. Rohmell , Godthaabsvejs
Tændstikfabrik and Københavns Tændstikfabrik with and
Aktietændstikfabrikken Merkur in the limited liability company "
Københavns Tændstikfabrik og aktietændstikfabrikken Merkur
" . H. E.
Gosch & Co.
were not officially in this group , but had a pre-arranged
aggreement with the new company.
In the new board came Axel Heide , ( as chairman ) , Just
Abildgaard, Peter Justesen, Carl Bertelsen and Oscar Philip
Davidson .
The latter's participation was clear evidence of HE
Gosch 's interests
in the company .
Fotografi af arbejderne med den mange børn
og kvinder fra ca. 1900
