The story behind JPS

Carmen Damer in Germany becomes a part of JPS, bringing major laboratory resources to the company.

JPS buys Dennerle Aquarienpflanzen, which is a leading brand in aquatic plants. JPS increases the company’s market share in Germany and France.

Planet Plants in Germany is acquired. he company continues as a wholesaler of aquatic plants.

All activities are brought together under JPS Marselis.

JPS buys out a customer and starts Tropica North America. In addition, the company acquires a minority position in Nordic Hotels, which has a hotel business in Nigeria.

During the financial crisis, JPS acquires a series of properties from bankrupt property companies. The approximately 800 leases are located in Jutland and on Funen. Today, JPS has more than 1,000 leases in its portfolio.

The door manufacture company Vahle is acquired by JPS and Ole Mølby.

Tropica relocates, moving from Grenåvej to a modern nursery in Mejlbyvej.

Hornbaek Baltic is acquired for the purpose of producing painted mouldings. Scandiwood is acquired for the purpose of supplementing the range with worktops and shelves.

JPS acquire Hornbaek A/S in 2005.

JPS acquires Tropica from the owner Holger Windeløv.

In 2002, the desire arose to expand the business activity to include investing in well-run companies. The first major investment takes place a few years later.

Dansk Administrationscenter is established, with Jan as the director. The company does property administration for both JPS’s own properties and external customers’s properties. The first office is located in Augustenborggade in Aarhus.

In 1998, several municipally owned properties in the country were sold off. PS acquires 150 apartments on Knud Hansens Vej in Kolding and 80 apartments on Mølndalsvej in Nørresundby. The properties, which are still in our portfolio, have subsequently been modernized and developed.

During the recession at the start of the 1990s, JPS succeeds in purchasing Hejredalsparken i Brabrand, Aarhus, from Nykredit. The property with its 128 apartments is the most significant real estate investment made so far, as it has formed the basis for subsequent investments. The property has been developed and the majority of the apartments have been modernized.

In 1991, JPS bought the property Tietgens Plads 9 in Aarhus, which has eight apartments. The property is still part of JPS’s property portfolio today. The property has subsequently been renovated and two additional penthouses have been established as well as a basement apartment.

Following this investment, JPS changed its strategy, as it was decided to only buy properties with a long-term ownership in mind going forward. It was also decided that opportunities for continuous improvement should be used and that the properties should always be in a good state of maintenance. We still follow this strategy regarding our properties today.

In the years 1989-90, three more properties were bought in Aarhus. They were renovated and sold as housing partnerships to future residents – it was the “in model” of the time.

The first large residential property was bought in 1990 together with real estate agent Tage Madsen. It contained a total of 30 leases and was located at Stjernepladsen in Aarhus Nord. After two years, JPS received a good offer on the property, which was then sold.

In 1988, JPS began offering property administration to local property owners in Aarhus. Real estate agent Tage Madsen in Holme was one of the first customers. The activity was dissolved in 1990, when Jan moved to Greenland.

In 1987, activity changed from parallel importation of calculators to investment in residential real estate. JPS bought three smaller residential properties. Two of the properties were located at Trøjborg in Aarhus. As was the trend at the time, the properties were renovated and sold the same year. The last of the properties was located on Djursland, it was sold four years later.

In May 1986, Jan, Peter and Søren established JPS Administration, whose purpose was administration and investment. The three met each other in Frederiksbjerg YMCA & K and started the collaboration by moving in to an office at the top of the association’s property – above the tap beams. At that time, Peter and Søren were studying at the Aarhus School of Business, while Jan was studying to be a civil engineer.

The first activity was parallel imports of calculators from HP, because there was a very large price difference between Denmark and the USA. The primary customers were economics and engineering students in Aarhus.