Lars Larsen Had a Dream

Lars Larsen was born in north-western Denmark and served his apprenticeship in a drapers’ store.

He later moved into the furniture business where he nurtured the idea of opening his own chain of bed linen outlets. He had practically no money, but plenty of bright ideas.

The ambitious young entrepreneur soon managed to find a number of suppliers and a bank willing prepared to back him. The bank was a small branch of the Danish Nørresundby Bank, and he is still with them today.

Take-off in Aarhus, Denmark

Lars Larsen envisioned a chain of stores and, for him, getting the concept off the ground was more important to him than choosing a location for his first store. As it happened, he chose the Jutland city of Aarhus and the first JYSK store opened for business there on April 2, 1979.

Family-owned

Lars Larsen is still the owner of the JYSK Group and its subsidaries as well as Dänishes Bettenlager and Bettenwelt. In addition he also owns or partly owns other companies:

Bolia.com: an internet based chain of furniture outlets with showrooms in larger European cities.

Ready Made: curtains and textiles for the home.

Interior Direct: a large-scale supplier of furniture for hotels and conference facilities.

Himmerland Golf & Country Club: one of Scandinavia's best equipped and most attractive golf courses with its own first class hotel.