At the end of 2022, the municipal council of Thisted Municipality decided that Hanstholm Port should go from being a self-governing port to a municipal port from 1 January 2023. The debt of 630 million DKK after the port expansion and an operating deficit in 2021 of 17 million DKK were now so large that the municipality had to repay the overdraft of 63 million DKK. After the return, the municipality has permanently employed the previous acting port director Søren Zohnesen.
For the companies at Hanstholm Port, it has been a day with a large turnover in the management of the port. In the last 10 years, the port has had seven chairmen of the board, although the same chairman has been elected twice. During the same period, the port has also had seven directors, three of whom have been acting. The same director has been appointed twice.
Jesper Pedersen is the CEO and second-generation owner-manager of Hanstholm Skibssmedie. He has noticed the change in the port's various management levels, but now there is optimism in the director's office despite everything.
- My feeling is that things are going to be good now. I am sure that if we meet here in five years, there will have been a positive development, says Jesper Pedersen and elaborates:
- Now the politicians really have their hands on the stove, regardless of whether they have different opinions and cultures across the municipality.
He believes that the reason for the unrest around the port dates back to the municipal merger.
- There have been cultural differences from here to Thisted and from here to Vorupør. Now a bridge must be built between the country and the city, he says, among other things, such as the only 20 km distance between Hanstholm and Thisted.
So far, Thisted Municipality, the port's board and director have been the actors around Hanstholm Port. It has not always been a trinity.
- Everyone has wanted the best for the port. This applies to both the municipal politicians, the port directors and the boards. Still, it has not succeeded. But it is coming to this now, says Jesper Pedersen, and draws the simplified form of governance for the port with an organizational chart on a piece of paper.
- An organization must be built correctly, so that you support each other, explain the company manager and draw up the structure for your own company, which works more like the port's now. Therefore, he now sees better chances for successful management of the port.
There is not the slightest doubt that the company manager means what he says about the port's future.
- It is my greatest wish that the port will succeed, he says.
Working peace and back to Nils Skeby's plan
Now it is up to the politicians to get the port's earnings back on track.
- The politicians have already started gathering knowledge to create a master plan for the development. First they need to put out the fire, then they need to have working peace to move forward, says Jesper Pedersen.
So far, however, he already sees a commitment from the politicians.
- They are proactive in relation to the port, and I am often contacted by them. That's why I only have positive things to say, it says.
Jesper Pedersen had a close collaboration with the port's previous director Nils Skeby, who ended up being fired by Kristian Jensen during his almost two-month presidency of the port. But there is still a before and after Nils Skeby.
- Everything that Nils Skeby did and planned has not come together. It is ready for us to continue on it, says Jesper Pedersen about a declaration of intent for a visionary energy cluster with European Energy.
These are plans that have not yet been implemented. Although the municipality will help the port with its overdraft facility of 63 million DKK - the major turnaround requires more.
- We will have to invest our way out of it. Everyone knows that it costs money to make money, explains Jesper Pedersen.
He himself has just invested in two large electric vans, because customers have long since started demanding a green transition.
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