Our history
An overview of selected milestones and significant projects in our history, which date all the way back to 1918.
Over the years we have carried out a wealth of construction and civil engineering tasks in Denmark and abroad.
Our history begins shortly after the First World War, when the companies Monberg & Thorsen and Højgaard & Schultz had just been founded. Europe was still in a state of turmoil after the war, but in Denmark the reunification in 1920 gave rise to a mood of national optimism.
The technical basis for the two companies was the new era's construction technology: "reinforced concrete".
2011
We hand over several large projects, including KPMG's new head office in Frederiksberg and new office buildings for DONG Energy in Gentofte.
The year brings many splendid construction and civil engineering projects, both in Denmark and abroad. In Norway, we are busy constructing Hardanger Bridge – Norway's largest suspension bridge. In Greenland we hold the topping-out ceremony for Nuuk Centre, a new office and shopping centre, and our Mining Department successfully completes its core drillings on the Inland Ice.
In Denmark, we install the first of a total of 111 foundations for a new offshore wind farm in the Kattegat; in Aarhus we are constructing a new exhibition building for Moesgård Museum; in Bagsværd, we start on the construction of a new head office for Novo Nordisk, designed by Henning Larsen Architects, and in the Port of Esbjerg we start an expansion involving a new quay for the wind turbine industry.
All in all, there are a good number of groundbreaking ceremonies on construction and civil engineering projects during the year, which we continue working on in 2012. These include Odin's Bridge, a swing bridge across Odense Canal, a new emergency ward for the regional hospital in Randers, and a new school in Frederikshavn constructed under a Public Private Partnership contract.
2010
Reducing environmental impact has been one of our main areas of attention this year. We focus on energy optimisation and have launched “Energiberegneren”, an online tool where our customers can get an overview of the energy consumption in their building and put it in relation to the cost of renovating the building.
2009
2009 was a good year. We achieved the best result in the company's history, which largely was obtained by maintaining our focus on profitability despite the low activity and increasing price competition in Denmark.
The year brought several interesting projects. We won the project to build a suspension bridge across the Hardanger Fjord in Norway, which is scheduled for completion in 2013. And we have started the work on Lemvig-Müller's new head office in Herlev and KPMG’s new head office in Frederiksberg.
During the year we have implemented many internal improvements, which will benefit both our customers and our business. This is in accordance with our new vision: We will outperform industry standards through innovation and operational excellence – together with our customers.
Regarding reduction of environmental impact, we have developed a concept for our customers that makes it easy to overview a project's future energy consumption and relate it to construction costs.
At the 2009 Agromek agricultural exhibition, we won the award for a new product in cattle farming with a newly developed and patent pending environmental technology. The award was given to one of our innovative livestock concepts, which benefit animals, people and the environment.
In 2009, we also opened new local offices in Randers and Slagelse, which is a continuation of our strategy of being present locally to be in touch with the challenges our customers face.
2008
Another year with a very satisfactory result and with the opening of three new offices in Hillerød, Horsens and Næstved, we continue our ambition to be represented nationwide.
During the year, we carried out a large number of facade and refurbishment projects throughout the country, won a new contract for offshore wind turbine foundations off the English coast for DONG Energy, built a new administration centre for Storebælt, constructed a new timber trade building for Stark in Copenhagen South Harbour and initiated our third Public-Private Partnership project, the Ørsted School on Langeland.
We also delivered the 4.5 km M3 motorway section between Jægersborgvej and Klausdalsbrovej before time.
2007
Yet another year with a very high level of activity, where we achieved the best result in the Group's history. We also reached our objectives in health and safety and had our certificate of compliance with safety standard DS/OHSAS 18001 and executive order no. 87 from the Danish Working Environment Authority renewed. We achieved national coverage with our utility activities.
Copenhagen Zoo's new savannah was an exciting project as well as the new Elephant House designed by architect Lord Norman Foster. The Elephant House has been highlighted as an architectural masterpiece.
We initiated yet another Public-Private Partnership project: construction of a new registration court in Hobro. We also built Funen Arena, a motorway bridge across Brande Stream, a completely new urban district in Valby, industrial construction for Biogen Idec in Hillerød and a konsumhus in Frederikshavn, to mention a few.
2006
Three new local offices are opened in Denmark. MT Højgaard now has 15 local offices spread across the country – in addition to our head office in Copenhagen. We emphasise that we can carry out any building and construction project and have good experience in offering our solutions both nationally and locally.
The Public-Private Partnership project, Vildbjerg School, was delivered at the end of 2006.
2005
The housing concept of the future is developed and the first project is started in Aalborg. Using the Basic Living model, we built 69 rental apartments on Blegkilde Allé, offering customised quality apartments at very competitive prices.
MT Højgaard delivered the Landscape Channel in Ørestad. The Channel, varying in width from 6 metres to 25 metres, connects the large green space on Amager Fælled with the Ørestad urban district. The channel, which is the longest in Ørestad, evens out the borderline between the green spaces and the urban zone. Several bridges are incorporated to provide crossing points for pedestrians, cyclists and cars.
We begin Denmark's first Public-Private Partnership project, the construction of Vildbjerg School for 700 pupils in Trehøje municipality, Jutland. The Public-Private Partnership company, Vildbjerg School, consisting of MT Højgaard, Dan-Ejendomme and Bank DnB NORD, will construct Vildbjerg School and operate it until 2036.
2005-2008
We built a district heating tunnel – the largest construction in Copenhagen since the Copenhagen Metro. The district heating tunnel connects Amager Power Station with the district heating grid in central Copenhagen. The contract comprised a four kilometre bored tunnel and three shafts.
1995-2005
We built a new urban area in Holbæk. Over a period of ten years, we constructed 645 new dwellings of mixed types on an old factory site. In a decade, Holbæk has created an urban environment with several thousand students, families, senior citizens and disabled people living in a new community setting.
2004
We built Field's – Scandinavia's largest shopping centre – in Ørestad, consolidating our position as a contractor for shopping centres. We have also built shopping centres in Helsingør, Hillerød, Friheden and Ishøj, and many convenience stores around the country.
MT Højgaard's core competence in coastal protection gained further international recognition with a sizeable coastal protection project in Sri Lanka in 2004. We also carried out coastal protection projects in Sri Lanka in 1987-89 and 1990-93 in the Danhoff consortium. Our portfolio in costal protection includes Lebanon, the Maldives, the Faroe Islands and Denmark.
2003
For the Danish Broadcasting Corporation (DR), we are partners in undertaking the 32,000 m² news studios at DR's new broadcasting centre in Ørestad. We also begin the building of the concert hall's complicated concrete and steel constructions. We help develop a concept for how the 1,800 seat concert hall can be constructed and develop new design for the concrete surfaces in collaboration with the architect, Jean Nouvel.
2002
We design a large part of Ørestad, where we start building Field’s (Scandinavia's largest shopping centre), Ferring's laboratory and domicile (the 21 storey landmark building in Ørestad), the City Point office building and a number of residential buildings.
2002 is also the year when MT Højgaard seriously shows the scope of its competences. In Copenhagen's southern harbour area, we simultaneously construct residential buildings and company domiciles, refurbish warehouses, lay new railway tracks, build a ferry terminal and roads, and carry out a large sewer re-routing project.
We handle the project development of Hotel Marriott International on Kalvebod Brygge, which we deliver on a turnkey basis – even supplying the bathrobes.
In close collaboration with SEAS, we install 2,000 kilometres of overhead electric cables on southern Zealand, Lolland-Falster and Møn. It is the completion of a three year project affecting 19,730 electricity customers.
2001
On 2 May 2001, Monberg & Thorsen and Højgaard & Schultz merge to form MT Højgaard A/S – thus becoming Denmark's largest building and construction company.
MT Højgaard gains a new domicile in Søborg, Copenhagen – which we build ourselves.
We also gain a new logo. With our new identity, we have created a platform for an exciting development far into the future.
MT Højgaard's Overflow Regulation Module (ORM) plant wins the 2001 EU environmental award. When a wastewater basin overflows – which all basins do during intense rain – it is only the purer water that flows out into the surroundings, while the dirty water continues to the treatment plant. Our ORM plant is thus more environmentally friendly than traditional wastewater basins.
2000
MT Højgaard har a key competence in offshore wind turbine foundations. It began east of Amager's northern point, close to the entrance to the Port of Copenhagen, where the shallow area of Middelgrunden is situated. Here MT Højgaard installed the foundations for 20 offshore wind turbines. The project comprised 20 wind turbines installed in a slightly curved row with 180 metre gaps. The wind farm has a total length of 3.4 kilometres. We have since installed the foundations for 80 wind turbines at Horns Rev 1 in the North Sea off Esbjerg and for one of the first large offshore wind farm projects in the UK – at Kentish Flats in the outer Thames estuary on the English coast.
1995-2000
Monberg & Thorsen and Højgaard & Schultz jointly construct the Øresund Bridge. The bridge was completed earlier than scheduled, and the inauguration took place on 1 July 2000.
1994-1996
Monberg & Thorsen and Højgaard & Schultz took part in the construction of the Great Belt Bridge. Monberg & Thorsen took part in building the tunnel, while Højgaard & Schultz took part in buidling the West Bridge.
1980-84
Monberg & Thorsen and Højgaard & Schultz jointly construct the Faro Bridges, comprising low-level and high-level bridges with a combined length of 3,322 metres. Højgaard & Schultz built the substructure, including the characteristic pylons. Monberg & Thorsen built the superstructure. The southern bridge is a cable-stayed bridge with a span of 290 metres.
1952
Danish Arctic Contractors, known today as Greenland Contractors, is established as a partnership by seven contracting companies, of which Monberg & Thorsen and Højgaard & Schultz are two. The work focused especially on the Thule Air Base, Greenland.
Højgaard & Schultz is contractor for the northern high-rise buildings in Bellahøj, which were ready for occupancy in the same year. Bellahøj was among the first element constructions in Denmark. We built according to a new system where the elements were precast on the construction site. The system was developed by the architect Kall and was thus called the Kallton system. The buildings represented a vision of light and air and featured modern interior design. A total of 25 buildings of 9-13 floors were constructed – in all 1,300 apartments.
1928-35
Construction of the Little Belt Bridge. Both to Monberg & Thorsen and Højgaard & Schultz, this task was the start of a number of well-known and challenging projects. It took seven years to complete the Little Belt Bridge.
1925-35
Construction of the port of Gdynia. After a number of small projects in Denmark, Højgaard & Schultz was awarded one of Europe's largest civil engineering projects: the construction of the port of Gdynia, Poland. The work took almost 10 years - from 1925 to 1935 - and led to many new projects, both internationally and nationally.
1919
Axel Monberg and Ejnar Thorsen establish the contracting company Monberg & Thorsen.
1918
Sven Schultz and Knud Højgaard establish the contracting company Højgaard & Schultz.