AVK History

From local shop to global scale








Niels Aage Kjær
Owner and CEO

AVK going international

The story of AVK begins with Aage Valdemar Kjær, who opens a local machine shop, and whose initials today are visible on countless valves, hydrants and accessories across the globe. In 1970, his son, Niels A. Kjær, develops the first gate valve and the production of valves begins. 

Up through the 1970s, demand rises quickly, and products are exported to Norway, Sweden, Finland, the Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy and the UK. Own rubber production is initiated at AVK GUMMI A/S in Denmark. 

By the late 1990s, factories and sales companies have been acquired in France, the Netherlands and South Africa, and sales companies have opened in Hong Kong, Poland and in the Philippines. AVK now also exports to Saudi Arabia, the Far East, France, Belgium, Spain, Portugal, Hungary, Canada, South Africa, Latin America, Australia, the Baltic States, Israel, Greece, Croatia, Slovenia, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria and Slovakia. 


AVK Maskinfabrik A/S is founded in Galten by Aage Valdemar Kjær.


Own rubber production is initiated at AVK GUMMI A/S. A factory is founded in the UK and sales companies in Denmark and the Netherlands.


Valve factories are founded in Denmark, the USA and Saudi Arabia. A factory in Denmark is acquired, now AVK Tooling A/S, and Flonidan Gas Division A/S is founded in Denmark. Sales companies are founded in the UK and Norway.


Factories are founded in Poland and Australia, and companies acquired in the UK, the Netherlands and France. Sales companies are founded in Belgium, France, Spain, South Africa, Hong Kong, Poland and the Philippines. License agreements are made.

AVK going global

10 years into this millennium, exports now also cover Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Cambodia, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, Bosnia Herzegovina and Turkey. Companies have been acquired in Denmark, Sweden, Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic, Italy, the UK, Brazil and India, including a stake in a Japanese company.

In the following years and up until today, large investments and acquisitions have been increasingly in focus, counting multiple acquisitions in Germany, Spain, the UK, Australia, Brazil, South Africa and the United Arab Emirates.

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A factory is founded in China. Large acquisitions are made in Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic, the UK, Switzerland, Malaysia and Japan. Sales companies are founded in Sweden, Germany, Italy, Brazil, China and India.


Factories are founded in India, Kazakhstan and Brazil, and AVK Advanced Castings is established in China. Large acquisitions are made in Germany, the UK, Spain, Italy, Australia, South Africa, Brazil and United Arab Emirates.


The Group now counts +4,000 dedicated people and more than 125 companies.



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