Electrical installer and manufacturer Siliam Bjerre (September 16, 1880 – January 3, 1941) reached far and wide with his technical ingenuity and entrepreneurial spirit. From dairy manager in Jebjerg to electrification projects throughout Denmark. He was also both owner of and later employed at Skive Jernstøberi
Dairy manager and bicycle mechanic
Siliam Bjerre was born in Lomborg near Lemvig. In the mid-1890s, he was apprenticed as a dairyman to dairy manager Esper Andersen at Jebjerg Andelsmejeri. But he was more interested in technology and started working as a bicycle mechanic in the bicycle shop that Esper Andersen ran alongside his business as dairy manager.
Mechanic and electrician
Together with Esper Andersen, he started a mechanic and electrical installation business in Jebjerg in 1899. Esper Andersen was responsible for the financial aspects, while Siliam Bjerre, who had learned some theory from his brother, Jacob Bjerre, who studied engineering at the Polytechnic Institute and participated in tests at the Institute’s laboratory in 1898, took care of the technical aspects.
From local to nationwide
In 1899, the company installed a small power plant at Jebjerg Andelsmejeri, and in the following years it took on a number of major projects. In 1902-03, it installed power stations at several of the Skive region’s cooperative dairies, and in 1903 it was commissioned to install electricity at Vallekilde Højskole. The latter task had been arranged via the teacher Poul La Cour, Askov Folk High School. The connection to the college was established through Siliam Bjerre’s brother, Jacob Bjerre, who had been employed as a consultant at “Dansk Vind Elektricitetselskab”, which La Cour had established.
“Rural electricians” and Skive’s first power plant
The company was to support the electrification of the country through the creation of small, wind-powered power plants and train “rural electricians” who would build and operate the small rural power plants. Siliam Bjerre and Esper Andersen’sinstallation shop became an internship for the “rural electricians” from Askov. Among other things, they worked on the installation of the Skive region’s first power plant, Ny Skivehus Elektricitetsværk, which proprietor Per Odgaard had built in 1905.
Esper Andersen, Siliam Bjerre and Søren Mehlsen
Shortly after the completion of this power plant, Esper Andersen & Siliam Bjerre moved into Ny Skivehus, and in 1906 the company moved to its own premises at Torvegade 11 in Skive. By this time, Esper Andersen had left the business, which was continued by Siliam Bjerre alone – but with a capital contribution from Per Odgaard, who was also the company’s accountant until 1907. This task was taken over by Siliam Bjerre’s brother-in-law, Søren Mehlsen. In 1913, Søren Mehlsen joined the company, which was transformed into a partnership with the name “I/S Siliam Bjerre & Søren Mehlsen”.
A large and rewarding business
In the following years, Siliam Bjerre received a number of large projects all over the country. It was precisely during these years that Denmark was electrified, and Siliam Bjerre built up a large and profitable business with up to 100-150 employees.
Bjerre and Mehlsen take over Skive Iron Foundry
In 1919, Siliam Bjerre and Søren Mehlsen took over Skive’s largest industrial company, A/S Skive Jernstøberi og Maskinfabrik. The plan was to continue the previous versatile production of agricultural machinery etc. But as something new, production of articles for electrical installations was to be started. At the same time, Siliam Bjerre moved the electrical department with shop and workshops from Torvegade to the iron foundry’s premises at Østerbro 7.
The GYRO grinder and economic crisis
After taking over the iron foundry, Siliam Bjerre began experimenting with developing a new and more efficient grinder for grain. The grinder, named the GYRO grinder, was ready to go into production at the end of 1924 – and it would ensure the survival of the iron foundry.
By the mid-1920s, it became apparent that the iron foundry was in deep financial crisis. In 1925, Søren Mehlsen was replaced by another bookkeeper, Niels Kirk, as a result of a debt restructuring. In 1927, Siliam Bjerre sold off the electrical department. But it wasn’t enough to save the iron foundry when its bank, Skive Bank, was forced to close on October 1, 1928. The bank’s liquidation committee forced Siliam Bjerre to find a buyer for the iron foundry.
The Foss family takes over
It was the Foss family (brothers Erling, Torben and Einar P. Foss) who bought the iron foundry in 1929 for DKK 276,000. Siliam Bjerre was hired as director of A/S Siliam Bjerre, Skive Jernstøberi & Maskinfabrik, which was established in connection with the sale to the Foss family.
Shortly after the Foss family took over the iron foundry, the factory entered into an agreement with proprietor Diderik Villemoes to produce the Villemoes fertilizer spreader, which he invented. The fertilizer spreader and the GYRO grinder became the main products for Skive Jernstøberi in the following decades.
Bjerre is technical director – his health is failing
In 1932, a managing director was hired. As technical director, Siliam could now concentrate on the development of new products. During the 1930s his health deteriorated and in 1937 an engineer was hired to relieve him. He resigned from his position on January 1, 1940 and moved to Fredericia, where his only child, engineer Henning Bjerre, lived. He died here on January 3, 1941, aged 60.
Sources:
- Olav Jensen: Sagaen om Skive Jernstøberi. In: Skivebogen 1993 p. 78-108, 1994 p. 23-60
- Niels Mortensen: An industrial adventure in Skive. In Skivebogen 1991 p. 70-109