BEHIND PALSGAARD ESTATE
The Schou family at Palsgaard
For over 100 years, the Schou family has left its mark on Palsgaard's history. When the family bought the estate, it became the setting for a modern industrial company with clear humanistic values.
Skilled businessman sees new opportunities
When Einar Viggo Schou bought Palsgaard in 1908, he dreamed of "a large, beautiful, old place with large, lush fields and a large herd – a place that was not only for pleasure, but where work and work were done".
Palsgaard thus became the setting for a visionary and hard-working businessman and his wife and two children. Prior to that, Einar Viggo Schou had been the director and co-owner of Otto Mønsted's margarine factories in England for 20 years.
Invention becomes known all over the world
In 1913, in a small experimental factory at Palsgaard, Einar Viggo Schou experimented with mixing liquids that cannot be dissolved into each other. Four years later, he was ready with Palsgaard Emulsions Oil – a revolutionary invention – an emulsion oil that can bind water and oil together.
The invention became the world's first industrial emulsifier and formed the basis for two new factories at Palsgaard: Fabrikken Emulsion A/S, which was founded in 1919, and a state-of-the-art margarine factory from 1924.
A visionary leader with a humanistic heart
Einar Viggo Schou was more than just a successful business owner. He was an exceptional leader who put the welfare of his employees first. Prior to his time, he introduced bonus schemes where part of the profit was shared with the employees.
Schou was deeply concerned with strengthening the social life and education of his employees. He was behind the construction of the "Guild Hall", which you can still see on Palsgaard's area. The house served as a gathering point for the employees and housed a library that was open to everyone.
This openness and care was typical of Schou. He was known for his nightly inspections of Palsgaard, where he made sure that everything was in order. One evening, he met an employee who had fallen asleep at work. This incident inspired Schou to establish the library, which he believed could keep the evening and night workers awake and stimulated.
Einar Viggo Schou was a true humanist who put people at the centre. His leadership style was characterized by respect, care and a belief in the potential of all employees. He left behind a legacy of social initiatives and a strong focus on employee well-being, which is still part of Palsgaard's DNA today.
Son Herbert continues the story
When Einar Viggo Schou died in 1925, his son Herbert took over as managing director and continued to develop the family business. Among other things, he established a soap factory, founded the company Credin, started cosmetics production with customers in Hollywood and established subsidiaries in many countries.
Herbert Schou's dream was a workplace where the employees were happy and motivated to do their best. He insured his employees in the event of illness and old age when he founded Denmark's first private pension scheme, the Palsgaard Foundation.
The Schou Foundation takes over Palsgaard
Gudrun and Herbert Schou's marriage was childless, and therefore in 1957 they founded the Schou Foundation, and transferred the companies and the estate to it. The purpose of the foundation is to run the estate and the companies with the same humanistic ideals and social responsibility that the family itself had had.
Read more and watch a film about the Schou Foundation here.
