With a Collaboration Award the two major Danish cities, Copenhagen and Aarhus, bring focus on the collaboration of private companies with the public sector. Aarsleff received the Collaboration Award in 2001 at the Copenhagen City Hall.

On behalf of the panel of judges Aarhus Mayor Flemming Knudsen emphasized that almost two decades ago Per Aarsleff in close cooperation with the Municipality of Aarhus was pioneer in No-Dig pipe rehabilitation.

“Since then the cured-in-place pipe lining method has been further developed, and over the years a number of – often complicated – pipe rehabilitation works in Aarhus have been solved in a reasonable way with regard to technical solution, traffic and price”, Flemming Knudsen said and expressed recognition that today Aarsleff has considerable activities in No-Dig pipe rehabilitation in most of the world.

The Mayor mentioned a pipe rehabilitation project under the Winter Palace in St Petersburg, twin town of Aarhus.

”The project was a good example of managing a public-private collaboration in an international relation, as the financing was based on funds from the Russian side as well as the Danish and Finnish Environmental Protection Agencies. The Winter Palace project also shows that the company has the necessary patience and risk-taking ability”, Flemming Knudsen said.

Furthermore, Mayor Flemming Knudsen emphasized Aarsleff’s collaboration with the Municipality of Aarhus and Aarhus County on the re-establishment of an important recreational area in Aarhus – Brabrand Lake.

For this project new equipment and new methods had to be developed. Furthermore, the work was carried out over a number of years in order to minimize the interference with the unique bird life of the lake.

”The Brabrand project has created great respect for the ability of Per Aarsleff to solve complex tasks. The company possesses know-how, readiness as well as will power and adaptability, leading to new and improved solutions in a number of engineering and rehabilitation projects”, the Mayor of Aarhus said.

”Also when it comes to harbour installations, bridge and tunnel constructions as well as rehabilitation of railway installations Per Aarsleff is well-known for a good public-private collaboration, often leading to new and improved ways of performing the work”, Flemming Knudsen said and added:

”Aarsleff is a company not only creating jobs. Long ago it was seen as a positive challenge that Denmark is a multiethnic society. Thus Per Aarsleff employs a considerable number of people with a background as refugee or immigrant. In addition the company also shows social responsibility in relation to employees with Danish background”.

Mayor Flemming Knudsen handed over the Collaboration Award to General Manager Ebbe Malte Iversen, Per Aarsleff A/S.

In his speech of thanks Ebbe Malte Iversen stressed that the company has many positive experiences cooperating with public companies and authorities, often in a relationship in the nature of a good partnership rather than a real customer-seller relationship.

”We receive the Collaboration Award with great gratitude and pride as a company with solid roots in Aarhus and with most of the world as our workplace. Today, our competences are known and recognized in great parts of the world. The award judges, Municipality of Aarhus and City of Copenhagen, have - as exacting customers, good partners, ambassadors and hospitable hosts - contributed to the position which Per Aarsleff A/S holds today”, Ebbe Malte Iversen said.

”At Aarsleff we make a virtue of developing new and improved methods for construction works which were fundamentally arduous. This is often done in close cooperation with a public principal, and in several cases it has formed the basis for export success, where pipe rehabilitation with the cured-in-place pipe lining method and electrification of railways are the most marked examples”.

”I thank you for the approval which we receive with the Collaboration Award and thank you for the understanding and helpfulness which we always meet in your political assemblies and technical administrations”, Ebbe Malte Iversen said.