Our history

Since the beginning, back in 1942, we have been through a tremendous development, and it is also this that influences our way of doing business today.

1942: The business start

V. Aa. Gram was founded in 1942 in Haderslev, Denmark, by Mr. Vagn Aagesen Gram, who started with a production of piston rings. The production place was situated in a back house at home of the family Gram, where the raw material stock was placed in the orchard.

The piston rings, which were available in many sizes, were manufactured on lathes, grinders and millers. The stock could in the first years be in a wardrobe. Later the kitchen and the dining room were converted into office, stock and packing room.

The outlet air from the grinding of the piston rings was filtered in a cyclone. Paradoxically today V. Aa. Gram A/S lives of selling among other things filter units for many purposes. An experience and a knowledge that Mr. Sven Gram used for a new production.

The totale area was only 100m², when the company was at its largest at this address.

1955: The next step

In the beginning of 1955 V. Aa. Gram moved to a new address in Haderslev.

Here the space was larger, so all activities could be gathered in one place. Until this time all tools were made in an outhouse behind the house of the foreman.

The end control did also get its own room.

From having about one line to manufacture the rings in, they increased it to 2 lines, and from having the largest diameter at ø300mm, it was increased to ø500mm.

About the beginning of the 1960s approx. 30 persons were employed, where the production ran in two shifts.

1962: Sole manufacturer

Since Mr. Vagn Aagesen Gram began in 1942 there were approx. 5 companies that made piston rings.

After 1962 the company in Haderslev was the sole manufacturer of piston rings in Denmark, after B&W had handed over the spare part drawings of the old constructions to V. Aa. Gram.

To utilize the large knowlegde of the construction of special machines over standard machines, some machines were rebuilt for other companies.

To  establish a real supplement production, the production of air hydraulic machine screws was started. Time was approx. 1964-65, and the production ran until 1972.

1970: Next generation

In 1970 V. Aa. Gram A/S moved to the previous address in the south of Haderslev, and the company was now run by the son of Mr. Vagn Aagesen Gram, Mr. Sven Gram.

The piston ring market was very fluctuating, many ships were laid up in among other things Alssund because of the business climate in the 1970s.

The task for V. Aa. gram A/S was to find a different and future secured production.

The problem was that the production machines were very special and could only be used for the production of piston rings.

1976: New ways

During a course (1967) held by the Danish Industrial Association in export Mr. Sven Gram received the input to seach for new production units by going through the import statistics from Statistic Denmark to see, whether there were any products that just as well could be manufactured in Denmark.

The choice fell on welding smoke extractors. After approx. 1 year of unsuccessful trials and production changes the products was finally a success and was sold for the first time in February 1976.

In the following years new products came along, so the worlds first transportable dust extractor with built together fan and separator for smaller wood workshops was manufactured. A product that later was copied all over the world!

The foundation of the future V. Aa. Gram A/S was laid.

1982: Process extraction

In 1982 the first expansion came to make room for the process extraction department.

At this time also a series of transport trolleys for the production of refrigerators was built. Our machinery was starting to become more versatile. 

In the autumn 1984 it was decided to stop the piston ring production per 1st November 1985.

The whole production was sold to the Dutch company Rottink. Reason for the sale was the fact that the extraction part had shown large progress, and we needed the space. Further it had increased to 50% of our sale and gave a positive result every year.

1990: Expansion

As a result of the large expansion on the product side a welding hall of 300m² was built in 1990, at the same time the offices were modernized.

The same year Mrs. Grethe Gram started as bookkeeper.

In 1995 the space was too small again, and surface treatment, mounting and stock were built.

In 1999 a real raw material stock was etablished, and teaching rooms were built.

1999: 3rd generation

1st Februar 1999 the first of the 3rd generation started in the company, Mr. Morten Gram.

In 2003 Mr. Henrik Gram started in the company, and per 1st July 2004 the second generational change than came.

Mrs. Grethe Gram and Mr. Sven Gram sell V. Aa. Gram A/S to Mr. Henrik Gram and Mr. Morten Gram.

After the taking over in the company by the 3rd generation the development went fast. Sales were doubled in 4 years, and the company enlarged the production capacity in 2008 with further 50%.

In 2012 V. Aa. Gram A/S could celebrate its 70th anniversary, and the continued growth meant gradually that the conditions on Klintevej 4 became too small, since there was no more room for expansions. Therefore the company moved in May 2015 to Lysbjergvej 10 in Hammelev at Vojens to 3 times as large buildings.

2015: The new domicile

On the basis of the large growth rates in the latest 20 years V. Aa. Gram A/S has constantly expanded in order to improve our production capacity and the conditions for our employees. With the move to the new domicile on Lysbjergvej many wishes have been fulfilled.

With our present large product range as well as the tradition for and the interest in new developments and improvements, where we take part in setting new standards or fulfilling existing legal demands, we are very well equipped to tackle the challenges of the future.

Since the main part of our production goes abroad, we must have a finger on the pulse of  the large challenges that are created as a result of the globalization. Among other things regular visits on national as well as international trade fairs help to create the basis for this. Also internally we try to be ahead of time, since we among other things invest in close cooperation in teams, the latest technologies and automation.

As a consultative and manufacturing company we increasingly feel the importance and the necessarity of a purposeful and competent guidance at the choise of a product as well as the production of these, since the demands are sharpened both on national as well as international level the whole time.

Just our long-standing experience, expertise and thorough knowledge of the market make us able to handle the present challenges, but also make us able to find solutions for and to our customers in the future.

2022: New name

Over the years, our various international markets have become more and more important; and to customers on those markets our name is less informative and harder to pronounce than we think it should be.

That is the reason why it was decided to change the name as per 1. January 2022 to Gram Clean Air A/S.

Alongside our new name, we will be introducing a new corporate logo and visual identity that reflects our company’s transformation over the years. Nowadays, we are a modern and streamlined company that produces some of the market’s best ventilation and filtration solutions for industrial applications.

We want to visualise this in the form of a modern and stylish impression that includes a new slogan: ”Next Level Industrial Air Solutions”.