Isabella United Kingdom 1997

This is a story about a company started 40 years

ago with one man’s good idea. It is an extraordi-

nary story which starts well, and just gets better

and better.

Søren Odgaard wanted a tent and, being

unable to find anything suitable, he made one at

home in the basement. But, like every true enthu-

siast, he was convinced that there were many

others similarly interested in carefree holidays

and the outdoor life, and, as we learn from this

fascinating tale, his intuitions were correct. Søren

Od gaard was in the right place, at the right time,

and with the right product - namely tents, making it

possible for other free spirits to fulfil their dreams

of outdoor holidays.

For this album we have compiled holiday

photo’s and memories from the past 40 years,

which we hope will evoke happy memories for

many of you....

ISaBella 1957-1997

“Some would say they could have done it better. Some would say they would

have done it differently. But this is the way I did it. and if I had not done it, it

might never have been done!”

The founder, Søren Odgaard at his desk on Isabellahøj.

3P A G E

Over the years, Søren Odgaard has shrewdly

developed the Company and always kept one

step in front of the competition.

The Company had a prudent start in april

1957 when Søren Odgaard began making and rent-

ing tents to the new, more adventurous breed of

campers. It was an ideal opportunity for these

trailblazers to test the delights of camping and for

Søren Odgaard to assess demand for the product.

The public discovered for themselves the joys of

camping and the freedom it gave, and Jydsk Camp-

ing Industri was born!

In 1960, production was transferred to the

disused “Vandel” rail and road station and the

Company’s first real factory building. This was

soon outgrown and a year later, the Company had

moved to bigger premises at its present address

on Isabellahøj - named by Vejle municipality in

recognition of the already visible success of Isa-

bella.

The Isabella tent was the first success of the

young Company and the name Isabella became

synonymous with quality and style. The unusual

name was taken from a German car which, as the

awnings are transported by car, is very apt. as a

token of respect to the Spanish Queen of the same

name, a royal crown was added. Very appropriate,

as she was also fond of sending people travelling

- most notably, Christopher Columbus!

The development and growth of Isabella has

been continuous and steady, and by

taking one step at a time and with a

close eye to market trends, the Com-

pany has always led the way in awning

design and maintained its position as

market leader. This is evidenced year

after year when the creative ideas

from Isabella are copied by competi-

tors. But, there is one Isabella feature

which can never be copied - the renowned Isabella

peepholes. Despite many attempts to copy the

peephole, there is still only one machine in the

world designed to sew them into the awnings. The

round peephole is seen on camping sites through-

out europe and the abundance of peepholes

shows how much Isabella is ahead of the rest.

a MaN, a TeNT, aND a VISION

5P A G E

a summer’s day at the beginning of the sixties,

and the family Volkswagen stands with the boot

open ready for the family to pack the tent, sleep-

ing bags, airbeds and other holiday paraphernalia.

The camping table and folding chairs are posi-

tioned for easy access when stopping for picnics

on the way - it’s a long way to Italy’s lido!.

a few years later, the same fam-

ily pile into their Opel car, hitch up

the caravan and prepare for another

holiday wondering ‘will we man-

age the hills in the German

town of Kassel?’, and con-

sidering driving on to Holland or

France. Or joining the neighbours who every year

swear by their caravan holiday in Sweden.

From very early on, when most camping

sites were little more than a field with a tap, Isa-

bella has recognised and followed the needs of

caravanners. and from the sixties, when the pas-

sion for caravanning started to grow, right up to the

present when it is possible to camp almost any-

where and at any time, Isabella has continuously

studied the caravanners needs.

In part, our success is attributable to the

skills of our designers and workforce, but this suc-

cess has also been achieved by 40 years of close

contact with the market. We have always listened

to our customers needs, and they have

often given the inspiration for

the design, construction and

materials necessary for us

to live up to the caravan-

ners demands.

From making tents,

Isabella expanded to include

awnings for the steadily increasing number

of caravans starting to fill the camping sites. In 1973

the market clearly showed the growing demand

for awnings and, because of difficulty in keeping

up with this demand, a conscious decision was

made to concentrate solely on the manufacture

of awnings.

HaPPY HOlIDaY MeMORIeS FROM THe SIXTIeS

7P A G E

The Olympia acryl was a classic. This Isabella

awning suited all nationalities and climes from

Sweden to Sicily. Under northern skies it was

warm and cosy, and in the sunny south the whole

front could be removed to give an airy

verandah. This gave the caravanner the

opportunity to make a ‘home from home’

spot anywhere in europe and, as with

many good ideas, it was based on a very

simple concept but one which everyone in

the industry thought impossible to implement.

That is, until Isabella did it! The design incorpo-

rated zips of 6 metres and panels that could be

removed or drawn - this design was the forerun-

ner of many other awnings made by Isabella and

copied by others.

Isabella has called upon much of its experi-

ence in the making of the Penta, the awning with

five corners and a unique frame. a strong but

simple construction with many individual features,

not least of which is dispensing with the need for

a support pole in the centre of the awning. This

makes Penta the dream awning for all per-

manent caravanners. an awning which

can be reliably sited from april to Octo-

ber during which time it will resist even

the most extreme weather conditions.

Standing next in line is the

ambassador - currently Isabella’s

and europe’s most sold awning. The reason for

the ambassador’s success is very simple: as with

a real ambassador, the Isabella ambassador will

settle anywhere and adjust to any situation. There

is not just one ambassador option - there is exactly

the one you want. Front and side panels can be

removed or drawn.

aN ISaBella aWNING - HOMe FROM HOMe

9P A G E

Iceland is not the most obvious holiday destination

for caravanners, but Isabella has

been sold there for some time

now. When Isabella introduced

the first winter awning, extremely

tough tests had already been

carried out in the inhospitable

Icelandic climate.

Professor P.V. Glob’s Bah-

rain-expedition to the Persian

Bay in 1963.

The local desert sheikhs, who have a natural inter-

est in tents, were very impressed. But

for that reason and in accordance

with arab custom they did not voice

their admiration, because then Pro-

fessor Glob was obliged to give

them the tents as presents.

But the servants of the

sheikhs discreetly asked Professor

Glob’s servants about the amaz-

ing tents. and the answer was, of

course “Isabella”.

HaIl IN TROMSØ aND HeaT IN BaHRaIN

11P A G E

Regardless of nationality, Isabella has always cho-

sen to keep in close contact with customers.

For this special anniversary we are pleased

to give brief details of our many links throughout

europe.

GERMANY

During the seventies, Isabella had a

secret admirer. at German exhibitions

a certain caravan salesman could be

seen looking around the Isabella

stand examining awnings from this

previously unknown Danish manufac-

turer. That man was Knut Grewe who

today is the manager of the German

subsidiary company, and is clearly proud of repre-

senting Isabella in Germany.

assisted by discerning customers who

appreciate quality, the German subsid-

iary company has steadily increased

its turnover since its formation in

1990.

HOLLAND

like Søren Odgaard, Henk Reine-

man started at home, in a bedroom

measuring exactly 4.5 x 3 metres. Ten years later

he moved into Isabella’s newly acquired ware-

house from where he now despatches Isabella to

a couple of hundred dealers throughout Holland.

as the Dutch subsidiary is not far from Vejle they

have very close contact with Isabella, and when

you meet Dutch people caravanning in europe,

you can be sure to see Isabella.

NORWAY

Trine lise Garberg has represented

Isabella in Norway since 1975. From

1985 as manager of the subsidiary

company in Sarpsborg, which moved

into its own premises in 1994. From

there the Norwegian market is cov-

ered from North to South, and there

is close contact to the “family” in Vejle. More than

20 years of co-operation with the same people

provides stability and quality at Norsk Isabella

and enables them to live up to the expectations

of the customers.

ISaBella - ReNOWNeD THROUGHOUT eUROPe

Throughout the rest of europe where cara-

vanning is also popular, but where Isabella

does not have its own Company, sales and

distribution are effected through import-

ers in countries such as Belgium, France,

Italy, Portugal, Switzerland and austria.

UNITED KINGDOM

although geographically separated

from the rest of europe, the United

Kingdom is nevertheless an integral

part of it. and for many years, Isabella

has been highly respected on the

British market and now takes a large

market share. Isabella UK was the first

subsidiary of Isabella and, during its infancy, 1973

to be precise, Patricia Woodward joined the Com-

pany. In less than 4 years she was put in charge

of the UK subsidiary and, with the assistance of a

loyal staff and the ‘family’ in Vejle, is proud to be a

part of such a caring Company and

of the prestigious position

Isabella has in the UK.

SWEDEN

Isabella’s old-

est associates in

europe are to be found i n

Sweden. Since the mid sixties

KaMa Fritid aB has represented Isa-

bella on the Swedish market and has established

Isabella as a household name. So much so, that

every second awning on Swedish caravan sites

is an Isabella. KaMa supplies everything for the

caravanner - caravans, awnings, accessories - and

after almost 30 years dealing with Isabella, it goes

without saying that the relation ship works

perfectly!

ISaBella - ReNOWNeD THROUGHOUT eUROPe

13P A G E

ISaBellaHØJ, VeJle - WHeRe IT all HaPPeNS!

The Management of Isabella with

the founder, Søren Odgaard in

the front.

Good organisation enables europe’s largest

awning factory to continue its

expansion of both plant and asso-

ciate companies.

Inevitably, people have

come and gone over the years,

but the stability of the company

can best be found by looking at

the long service records of many

employees both in management

and production.

Three of the “old boys” are:

Robert Hansen - Financial Director

and Company Spokesman.

Niels Wind - export Manager.

Carsten Dyg - Sales and Marketing

Director.

all three have been with Isabella for more than 25

years, and have helped create secu-

rity and stability within this, the

largest awning factory in europe,

during its continuous expan sion.

also, all employees with

service records of 10 and 25

years are recognised by special

anniversary celebrations. and, it

is traditional for the event to be

marked by the planting of an oak-

tree named after the person. This

gives an everlasting memorial

to all past and present Isabella

employees.

CONTINUITY aND STaBIlITY - PaST, PReSeNT aND FUTURe

15P A G E

In 1957 Jydsk Camping hire shop offered: “Holidays

for everyone! Go on holiday, when you want, and

stay where you want - for 1 krone a day”.

and for once, this was a slogan which kept

its promise! One krone a day and, with an eye to a

growing market, the farmers and land owners even

gave free hay to sleep on.

Freedom holidays had become available to

everyone, and from the start of the sixties the high

number of campers showed that it had become

an “association”. The Volkswagen was now being

packed with Isabella’s “Car tent”, and while the

first charter tourists flew south to what was then

referred to as “abroad”, others chose to erect their

tents on the more local “lolland and Falster”.

Some years were yet to pass before we became

experienced travellers with knowledge of travel

destinations such as Southern France, Northern

Italy and Spain.

By 1967, half a million Danes were esti-

mated to be campers. also, to the delight of Isa-

bella, it was announced that some 35,000 Danes

intended to invest approx. 100 million krones into

camping equipment. This prompted the chairman

of DCU, e. Herløv Jørgensen, to call

camping an “association” for the

first time.

But at about the same time,

new products appeared on the

market and shook the Camping

association a little. These were

the large awnings for permanent

caravanning which were to become

the Dane’s alternative to the summer

cottage. along with increasing sales of

caravans and matching awnings, the

camping sites now had a new type of

resident. These were the permanent

caravanners who, year after year, from

april to November, camped in the

same place.

In 1977 the Camping association was

strengthened by the entire camping industry form-

ing its own business association. Søren Odgaard

was among the promotors and became the first

chairman of the association.

a NeW eRa FOR CaReFRee HOlIDaYS

17P A G E

a major feature of Isabella’s success is the harmo-

ny between management and staff, and the strong

loyalty and pride each employee feels towards the

Company.

Two such are Sonja and Jonna: Sonja has 28

years service to her credit, and Jonna has just one

year, but both agree on the friendly environment

and feeling of wellbeing experienced at Isabella.

Discussions on major items always involve all

members of staff, both new and those more expe-

rienced, and opinions and ideas are carefully con-

sidered. New employees very soon learn that they

have joined a caring Company where their welfare

is as important as the training they receive.

Despite modern machinery and techniques,

sewing tents is still a craft where skill and experi-

ence are of prime importance. High standards are

expected of every worker but the days are never

dull and the rewards are rich.

The expertise and standards of excellence

required by Isabella is something

that no training college or course

can teach. It can only be learned by

“hands-on” experience, and the high

percentage of Isabella employees

with long service records are a testi-

mony to the patience, understanding

and care extended by the Isabella

management to its employees. as the

principals modestly say “We do our best to keep

a happy workforce” - is this why so many retired

employees still visit...?

RelaTIVe ValUeS

19P A G E

alfred Pedersen has been an Isabella dealer for

over twenty years, and is proud of it. Proud to sell

a quality product that has always

been second to none in its design

and materials; and proud to rep-

resent a company that is solid and

trustworthy.

He knows that Isabella is

honest, credible and has respect

for all its customers, giving confi-

dence in day to day dealings.

alfred Pedersen especially emphasizes the

human qualities in the company. Honesty and

respect are the key-words in a relationship he

would call more of a friendship than a business

connection.

Ultimately, this means that he can sell an Isabella

awning safe in the knowledge that the customer is

buying a quality product.

Isabella’s calibre shows in

the small things, such as the great

care given to detail and time given

to look for small improvements

that will benefit the end-user. This

is apparent in everything made,

and shows Isabella appreciates

the purpose of an awning and the

needs of the customers. This attention to detail

can be felt and shows they know who and what

they are dealing with...

ISaBella - lOVeD BY MaNY, ReSPeCTeD BY all

21P A G E

I ReMeMBeR! THaT WaS WHeN THe ZIP GOT STUCK!

23P A G E

Over the years, we have received many funny

stories about caravanners experiences. But some

of the letters have also contained good ideas

and suggestions for improvements. Some

have been small, some more detailed,

and some very useful but, all of great

interest.

This gives us great pleasure

because, among other things, they

reveal details of users concerns, e.g.

about various weather and climatic con-

ditions for which there may be special needs.

Following this, the development depart-

ment of Isabella carefully goes into the sugges-

tions, and if they prove to be feasible,

production is adapted to cater

for them.

at this point, we would like

to take this opportunity to encourage

caravanners to continue to let us know of

any ideas for improving Isabella awnings, thus

helping us to keep in front of the competition.

We look forward to hearing from you.

excellence of design and quality control are the

hallmarks of Isabella’s success.

40 years of producing progressively innova-

tive and superb quality awnings proves that Isa-

bella is, quite simply, the best!

With an Isabella roof over

your head, you have the finest

available material made to the

highest specification to protect

you from even the worst holiday

weather.

Frame, gutter, lower panel, zips, windows,

peepholes, and many years experience of awning

manufacture, combine to offer the caravanner the

security he is seeking. Four decades of usage by

experienced caravanners is living proof of the suc-

cessful construction and material of an Isabella.

The first steps to an Isabella lie in the cutting

room where, to begin with, the material is checked

for any flaws. Both the checking and the cutting are

manual because the skilled eye of the craftsman is

considerably more reliable than any machine.

an Isabella awning is sewn in stages, and

after the material has been cut, the sewing machin-

ists take over. Front, sides, and roof are finished,

checked once more, and assembled

into a complete awning. every day,

awnings are taken at random for test-

ing and the rest are checked to the

last detail. In this way, the machin-

ists are continually aware of the

importance of the finished quality

of their work.

experience and skill are needed to sew

an awning, and because of their many years with

Isabella, the machinists are well equipped to fin-

ish the awnings to the high standard required, not

least of which is the precision sewing of zips - a dif-

ficult task demanding specialist skills.

Many of the quality-minded employees

have been trained by Isabella, and every day we

enjoy the loyalty of long serving staff members.

CRaFTSMaNSHIP aND PRIDe IN THe PRODUCT - THe

INGReDIeNTS OF SUCCeSS

25P A G E

19571997

27P A G E

19571997

19571997

The combination of high quality, design and atten-

tion to detail are the main reasons for the large

market share Isabella has.

Ivan Odgaard, one of Søren Odgaard’s two

sons in the company, is responsible for the strict

standard of quality, finish and delivery times of the

many thousands of awnings leaving the production

rooms annually.

among other things, it is also his responsi-

bility to control the supply and use of raw materi-

als which come from the best and most reputable

fabric makers.

The increase in market share and produc-

tion can be charted when the plant is compared

with how it was 10 years ago. Isabella’s production

area and warehouse now covers a massive 12,000

square metres.

Isabella is proud to have managed the many

demands this expansion has made on resources.

NO SaCRIFICe TOO GReaT FOR QUalITY

campion production aps

“Through almost two decades we have followed

Isabella closely.

Isabella’s idea of the ‘awning of tomorrow’

has been the force behind the new thinking and

development which, over the years, has been

significant for the company. Together with a team

of committed employees, they have succeeded

in creating a name that is recognised not only in

Denmark but throughout europe.

We are convinced that the esprit-de-corps within

Isabella, gives a firm basis for the future, and we

wish you good luck for many years to come.

Happy anniversary.”

Ole Østrup

Managing Director

OPTI-lYSTa a/S

29P A G E

FOllOWING ISaBella FOR TWO DeCaDeS

“Production of the Borgward Isabella car came to

an end many years ago. However, we at Ten Cate

know that “First lady” Isabella, named after it, is

still looking ahead and approaching the new cen-

tury with confidence.

Well done Mr. Odgaard Sr and to both of his

sons! To survive and grow in a market that is still

expanding, and with increasingly tough competi-

tion, is no mean achievement.

Only the utmost devotion and perseverance

together with a large dose of common sense guar-

antees success in this industry.

Ten Cate is not surprised by your success in reach-

ing 40 years. as with all good things, “First lady”

Isabella has grown more attractive with time.

as a supplier, we at Ten Cate have, over the

years, had the privilege of being in a position to

observe your progression in the camping industry.

We wish you and your staff many more years

of success.

TeN CaTe

WORlDS BeST TeNTClOTH

STIll PRODUCING NeW IDeaS

“32 years of co-operation between Isabella and

Sattler.

For many years, Sattler material was only

sold in austria and its near neighbours, and export

activities to Scandinavia were not established until

1960.

Sattler first made contact with Jydsk Camp-

ing Industri a/S in 1964, establishing a business

relationship that has grown stronger throughout

the past 32 years.

With his focus on manufacturing as many

awnings as possible for the market in Denmark,

Søren Odgaard and his staff succeeded in mak-

ing Isabella the most successful plant for caravan

awnings. Significant at that time, as now, was that Isa-

bella offered products of high quality and therefore

naturally looked to Sattler for the best materials.

at the time, Isabella had already intensified its

exports throughout europe and attention was

especially focussed on england, Sweden and

Norway

Because of the close co-

operation between Isabella and

Sattler on technical develop-

ment, such as deciding on the

design of the finished fabrics, we

at Sattler hope to have made a

decisive contribution to Isabel-

la’s many years of success.

We are certain that Isabel-

la’s endeavours to always offer the best possible

product, will maintain Isabellas current leading

position.

We congratulate Isabella on its 40th anniver-

sary and wish every success for the future.”

SaTTleR

TeXTIlWeRKe OHG

GRaZ THONDORF

31P A G E

a 32 YeaR aSSOCIaTION

a BRIeF HISTORY OF ISaBella

Jydsk Camping Industri A/S

Campion Production ApS, VejleIsabella International Camping Ltd., Eng-land

Isabella Nederland B.V., Holland

Norsk Isabella A/S, Norge

Isabella Vorzelte Deutschland GmbH, Tyskland

Søren Odgaard established the Isabella Founda-

tion in 1978. The purpose of the Foundation is to

support and benefit outdoor life and activities. It is

also designed to support both present and former

employees of Jydsk Camping Industri.

1996 saw the latest contribution from the

foundation when 10 large KOMPaN playgrounds

with slides, climbing frames etc. were given to

camping sites in Denmark, which will be especially

enjoyed by young caravanners.

Over the years, many employees have been

supported either directly or in the form of activi-

ties such as theatre trips, study tours, Christmas

shows, week-end stays and the art fund of the

company.

The first Isabella subsidiary to be estab-

lished was england in 1970. Following this was

Holland in 1982, Norway - 1985 and, last but not

least, Germany in 1990.

The board of directors in 1997 at Jydsk Camping

Industri a/S - ISaBella are:

Søren Odgaard, chairman

Ivan Odgaard, lars erik Odgaard, anna Odgaard,

Robert W. Hansen and Mogens Thyssen.

The 1997

management

team at Jydsk

Camping

Industri a/S

- ISaBella

are:

Robert W.

Hansen

(Spokes-

man), Carsten Dyg, Ivan

Odgaard, Peder Odgaard.

The committee of the Isabella Founda-

tion in 1997 are:

lawyer Mogens Thyssen, master car-

penter erik Jensen, Carsten Dyg, Robert

W. Hansen, anna Odgaard and Søren

Odgaard, chairman.

For past and present loyal service, the

board of directors wish to express sincere thanks

to employees of the subsidiary companies, to the

employees in Vejle and Odense and, to the deal-

ers. We also extend thanks and gratitude to our

suppliers and to the users of Isabella products.

“actually, it all began with car trading. In 1946 I sold

my renovated Ford 1930 which was the car I bought

in exchange for my beloved Nimbus motor cycle.

It all happened because of the desire to start my

own company, that is “Vestergades Materielhan-

del”. The trade-in of the car brought in an amount

which, together with a loan of 8,000 dkr. from Den

Danske Bank and two solid guarantors, constituted

the working capital of the newly established com-

pany. The association with Den Danske Bank is

very beneficial to both parties and I am honoured

to be a member of the Bank’s local neighbourhood

council.

So, to everyone’s surprice, on the 1st of

april, 1957 I sold the business in Vestergade. This

was the beginning of a whole new venture into

camping which, at that time, was not considered a

business at all and was an unknown concept. Dur-

ing that first year, besides selling and hiring out

my own tents, I purchased and sold other small

tents and camping equipment, and I found there

was tremendous interest in my ideas. also, having

become entranced with the outdoor life, quite a

few customers bought the tents they had hired.

The following year I joined forces with a local sadd-

ler and, in 1959, purchased a redundant building at

the “Vandel” railway in Grejsdalen where I started

my first production line.

The innovative house tents continued to

grow in popularity and, by 1961, production and

a large Showroom on “Nørremarken” - the present

Isabellahøj - were fully operational. During the

sixties, the business developed rapidly. Caravans

became fashionable and it was increasingly clear

that caravan aWNINGS were in demand. always

quick to seize an opportunity, Jydsk Camping

Industri went into production with its first models.

In 1973, tent production ceased and the

business concentrated on awnings and other cara-

van accessories. To cope with the ever increasing

demands for Isabella awnings, we have constantly

expanded our buildings and are now the largest

awning factory in europe. In 1994, Isabella bought

the Telt larsen factory in Odense. This has consid-

erably increased production space to enable Isa-

bella to cope with the ever growing demands for

Isabella awnings both now and in the future.”

Søren Odgaard

MY STORY as told by Søren Odgaard

P A G E

33

Peder Odgaard was, if not born to the job, then

at least brought up with tents. “Job” is probably

not the right word - life style is a more accurate

de scription, because in the development depart-

ment of Isabella, Peder and three other members

of the staff live and breathe camping all day, every

day.

You need a technicians sense of practical-

ity and research ability. You need an architects

flair for design and colour. and, most of all, you

need camping in your soul. Only then can you

understand and investigate solutions for the cara-

vannners needs.

One such subject of research was the rubber

rings which tether the awning to the pegs. These

rings had always been made of rubber which has

a tendency to perish, and it has sometimes been

necessary to replace these every year. Isabella was

concerned about this small but annoying feature

and the development department turned their

attention to finding a more durable product.

The material was found on the deck of a trawler!

- a rubber string with polyester spun around it and

strong enough to secure fishing equipment, had to

be suitable to keep an awning in place. The result

of these exhaustive investigations is “Isaflex”

which was perfected in 1989 and which can be fit-

ted to all Isabella awnings from 1960.

The “Hercules” tensioning tool is another

invention from Isabella which, as with the rubber

rings, is the result of Isabella’s intensive research.

The awning of the future will need to comply

with new environmental demands and before long

we could be seeing much smaller cars. What will

the caravan then look like? - and the awnings? Who

knows, perhaps alternatives which no-one has yet

thought of are on the way.

except maybe Isabella.

SIGHTS aRe SeT TO THe FUTURe

35P A G E

Jydsk Camping Industri A/SISAbellA Isabellahøj 3

DK-7100 VejleTlf. +45 75 82 07 55. Fax +45 75 82 06 93

Internet: www.isabella.net