Inter Primo on the board of the Danish Plastics Federation

CEO Claus Tønnesen has just been appointed to the executive board of the Danish Plastics Federation, a trade association for plastics manufacturing companies in Denmark and their suppliers. 

Claus Tønnesen, CEO of Inter Primo since 2012, says: “Inter Primo is one of the largest plastics companies in Denmark. So having a seat on the board gives us a platform to make our influence felt, and we have a lot to contribute.”

Asked about his aims and goals for the work in the Danish Plastics Federation, he says:

“First, I would like to work towards making the Danish educational system better tuned towards the plastics industry. We need better trained plastics engineers and technicians, and we can do a lot to improve this. Secondly, I’d like to do my part to secure the competitiveness of the plastics industry in general. And thirdly, it’s important to me to make sure that plastics in general get better PR. We need a change in mentality, especially here in Denmark.”

As an example, Mr. Tønnesen mentions that in Germany, 60 % of all windows are made from PVC. In Denmark, the figure is just 8 %. 

“It is clear to me that we need to improve the overall attitude towards the use of plastics for all sorts of things. Plastics just make such good sense in every way – economically, environmentally, you name it.”

Mr. Tønnesen’s appointment to the board was only announced in the autumn of 2013. “It’s early days yet, of course, but there’s a lot of work to be done. And I’m looking forward to it,” he says.

A career in plastics

The world of plastics is nothing new to Inter Primo CEO Claus Tønnesen. In fact, for most of his career, plastics have taken center stage.

Graduating with a M.Sc. in engineering from the University in Aalborg, Denmark, in 1988, he had already made plastics his specialty. As a student, Mr. Tønnesen spent his summers working at BASF in Germany, and after his graduation he began working with research and development at Grundfos before moving to Danfoss in 1995.

He soon became responsible for everything plastic-related within Danfoss, a job he held until 2001, when he moved to Beijing as head of all Danfoss production in China.

I 2006, Mr. Tønnesen made a move back to Europe, becoming CEO of a new joint venture between Danfoss and the Japanese corporation Saginomiya Seisakusho with its base in Poland. As head of the new Danfoss Saginomya Sp. z. o. o., Claus Tønnesen once again found himself in a company owned and run by family interests. 

Today, as CEO of Inter Primo, Claus Tønnesen still holds a seat on the board of Saginomiya Seisakusho.