Our Heritage
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A Story of Incremental Entrepreneurship
1977
In 1977, Torben Christensen founded Copenhagen Merchants as a one-man agri-commodity broker business in a basement just north of Copenhagen, Denmark.
Much has changed since then, and today Copenhagen Merchants has become one of the leading agri-brokers in the world, while also expanding into various other areas within the sector.
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Every step of the way has seemed like a natural extension, almost like an octopus re-growing an arm ;)
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T.W. Heart
Cultural Ambassador, CM
Growing Together is more than a mantra — it's how we have always worked. Always committed to fostering teamwork and collaboration, both within our team but also with our partners and customers throughout the years.
Torben Christensen reminds us what a phone looked like in 1977.
Torben's son Simon Rodian Christensen joins the company as a co-owner in 2003, their partnership running until Torben retires in 2016.
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Still family-owned
A generational transition was in place in 2022, and today Simon is the CEO & Majority Owner of Copenhagen Merchants Group. Torben still serves as a board member and minority owner alongside Simon's sister Julie Bjørn Christensen.
Torben's wife Bente deserves a medal of honor for being the family anchor through it all ;)
Bits and pieces of the history
1977
Where it all began ...
Torben Christensen establishes Copenhagen Merchants in the basement of his family home.
Many legs have since been added to the CM "octopus", however the brokerage business remains the backbone of CM Group.
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1978
Chartering & Logistics
Starting in 1978 as an add-on to our brokerage business, Copenhagen Merchants offers freight brokerage to existing clients. In the very first order books, every single deal is eternalized in Torben's signature “grasshopper” handwriting.