PANAMA CITY, Fla. — Jørn Munch Jensen, founder of JENSEN-GROUP, died June 21 on the Danish island of Bornholm. He was 80.
He laid the foundation for the international company built on sustainable laundry automation. It supplies equipment and solutions for all sections of industrial laundries.
Jensen was born June 10, 1932, in Rønne on the island of Bornholm. He spent a happy childhood with sister Ella in a family of hard workers; his father ran his own company where dairy equipment was repaired. After training as a machinist and obtaining a business degree, Jensen decided to pursue his dream of living an international life.
Probably the most formative event of his life was his friendship with Bent Kjellberg, who introduced him to a folding machine. In 1959, Jensen decided to build his own folding machine for heavy-duty laundries with his father, Ejnar Jensen. He began marketing the product worldwide a year later.
JENSEN-GROUP added a feeder to the product range in 1973. It developed its own ironer in the 1980s and started supplying complete flatwork finishing systems. Acquisition of Metricon Conveyor Systems in the 1990s added garment technology.
In 1998, Jesper Munch Jensen, Jørn’s son, instigated an expansion program that led to the acquisition of Senking GmbH, Futurail and L-Tron, making JENSEN-GROUP the first total laundry automation supplier.
Jørn Munch Jensen and his wife, Lise, were married in 1954. They have three children and seven grandchildren. The family takes comfort that just 11 days before his death, Jørn celebrated his 80th birthday with his family and friends.
