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Himmerlandskød: “We went from Flintstones to Star Wars with Marel”
The transformation of Denmark’s most agile beef processor
Nestled in the Danish towns of Aalestrup and Farsø, Himmerlandskød is anything but traditional. While their roots lie in the heart of Danish agriculture, their operations are firmly planted in the future. In the words of Søren Andersen, Plant Manager and visionary behind their newest site:
“I say it with a smile—we went from the Flintstones to Star Wars in a single weekend, when we closed the old factory and started up the new one with Marel.”
The bold move: building from the ground up
In 2022, Himmerlandskød opened the doors to its state-of-the-art Greenfield beef plant in Aalestrup. With a clean slate and full ownership of the design process, they partnered with Marel to create a facility capable of meeting the most ambitious processing, traceability, and sustainability goals.
Søren, who led the entire Greenfield project, reflects on the importance of that decision:
“We chose one partner—Marel—to deliver the complete solution. From slaughter to deboning and further processing, all seamlessly connected. That choice shaped the future of our operations.”
Elevating quality, hygiene, and customer satisfaction
A full value chain – powered by Marel
Himmerlandskød is one of the few beef processors in Europe managing the entire value chain, from their own farms to retail-ready products. Their two sites—Aalestrup and Farsø—cover everything from slaughtering and deboning to portion cutting, grinding, mixing, and packing.
Primary Processing (Slaughter & CLS)
With Marel's technology and streamlined logistics, the plant runs with a speed and consistency never seen before. Data-driven feedback from veterinary inspections is integrated into AXIN, enabling real-time traceability from intake to dispatch.
“The logistics, the sorting—it’s a massive step up. We slaughter efficiently, and we know exactly what’s happening at every stage,” Søren explains.
Deboning & StreamLine: intelligence in motion
In the deboning hall, StreamLine transforms how operators work. With real-time yield monitoring and traceability, each station becomes an intelligent node in a connected process.
“We track every streamer’s yield in real-time. If there’s deviation, we address it on the spot. It helps us keep quality and efficiency at their peak.”
Trim inspection with SensorX Accuro
Where visual lean once ruled, SensorX Accuro has taken over with precision.
“We used to rely on visual sorting—now we consistently hit fat targets with chemical lean control. Complaints from customers? Practically gone.”
The result? Consistent product quality and data-backed trust across the supply chain.
Further Processing: consistency at scale
Portion cutting with the I-Cut 130, mixing with SpeedMix, grinding with CombiGrinder, and fat analysis with FatScan all work in unison. Every step, every portion is traced, controlled, and optimized.
Smart data. Smart decisions.
Despite being deeply hands-on, Søren acknowledges that software is just as vital as hardware.
“Looking back, I would advise anyone planning a plant to spend as much time on data and software as on equipment. With AXIN, we have real-time insights and traceability—but getting there takes focus.”
From farmer feedback loops to sorting strategies in their chiller, data is central to how Himmerlandskød operates.
A workplace built on purpose and people
With over 250 employees from 15+ countries, Himmerlandskød has built a family-like culture in Aalestrup.
“We don’t just run a plant—we’ve built a community. Many employees have moved here, bought homes, and settled with their families. That means a lot to us—and the region.”
Looking ahead: scaling up, staying agile
Despite their high capacity, the plant is already exploring ways to increase throughput and expand chilling capacity. Flexibility is key.
“We want to stay agile—whether that’s exploring new innovations or reducing CO2. Every new challenge is a chance to improve.”
Conclusion: partnership in progress
Himmerlandskød’s journey with Marel is far from over. What began with a bold idea has grown into one of Europe’s most digitally advanced beef processing facilities.
“We’ve worked with Marel since 2008. And with the way we’re evolving, I see us working together for many years to come.”
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Himmerlandskød: “We went from Flintstones to Star Wars with Marel”
“I say it with a smile—we went from the Flintstones to Star Wars in a single weekend, when we closed the old factory and started up the new one with Marel.”
Nestled in the Danish towns of Aalestrup and Farsø, Himmerlandskød is anything but traditional. While their roots lie in the heart of Danish agriculture, their operations are firmly planted in the future. In the words of Søren Andersen, Plant Manager and visionary behind their newest site:
The transformation of Denmark’s most agile beef processor
“We chose one partner—Marel—to deliver the complete solution. From slaughter to deboning and further processing, all seamlessly connected. That choice shaped the future of our operations.”
In 2022, Himmerlandskød opened the doors to its state-of-the-art Greenfield beef plant in Aalestrup. With a clean slate and full ownership of the design process, they partnered with Marel to create a facility capable of meeting the most ambitious processing, traceability, and sustainability goals.
Søren, who led the entire Greenfield project, reflects on the importance of that decision:
The bold move: building from the ground up
Elevating quality, hygiene, and customer satisfaction
Beyond operational ease, SBAG has brought product quality to a new level with precision cutting and hygiene.
“The overall slaughter quality has massively increased due to the M-Lines,” says Rutz, who was surprised by their precision when he first saw them in action. “I mean, we’re dealing with nature, and nature always varies a bit. But how it's corrected by the M-Lines—I find that sensational.”
“I can say we’re the best in Switzerland in terms of slaughter quality,” Rutz says, adding that customers have been “extremely enthusiastic” about the results.
Further Processing: consistency at scale
Portion cutting with the I-Cut 130, mixing with SpeedMix, grinding with CombiGrinder, and fat analysis with FatScan all work in unison. Every step, every portion is traced, controlled, and optimized.
Trim inspection with SensorX Accuro
Where visual lean once ruled, SensorX Accuro has taken over with precision.
“We used to rely on visual sorting—now we consistently hit fat targets with chemical lean control. Complaints from customers? Practically gone.”
The result? Consistent product quality and data-backed trust across the supply chain.
Primary Processing (Slaughter & CLS)
Deboning & StreamLine: intelligence in motion
In the deboning hall, StreamLine transforms how operators work. With real-time yield monitoring and traceability, each station becomes an intelligent node in a connected process.
“We track every streamer’s yield in real-time. If there’s deviation, we address it on the spot. It helps us keep quality and efficiency at their peak.”
With Marel's technology and streamlined logistics, the plant runs with a speed and consistency never seen before. Data-driven feedback from veterinary inspections is integrated into AXIN, enabling real-time traceability from intake to dispatch.
“The logistics, the sorting—it’s a massive step up. We slaughter efficiently, and we know exactly what’s happening at every stage,” Søren explains.
Himmerlandskød is one of the few beef processors in Europe managing the entire value chain, from their own farms to retail-ready products. Their two sites—Aalestrup and Farsø—cover everything from slaughtering and deboning to portion cutting, grinding, mixing, and packing.
A full value chain – powered by Marel
From farmer feedback loops to sorting strategies in their chiller, data is central to how Himmerlandskød operates.
“Looking back, I would advise anyone planning a plant to spend as much time on data and software as on equipment. With AXIN, we have real-time insights and traceability—but getting there takes focus.”
Despite being deeply hands-on, Søren acknowledges that software is just as vital as hardware.
Smart data. Smart decisions.
“We don’t just run a plant—we’ve built a community. Many employees have moved here, bought homes, and settled with their families. That means a lot to us—and the region.”
With over 250 employees from 15+ countries, Himmerlandskød has built a family-like culture in Aalestrup.
A workplace built on purpose and people
“We want to stay agile—whether that’s exploring new innovations or reducing CO2. Every new challenge is a chance to improve.”
Despite their high capacity, the plant is already exploring ways to increase throughput and expand chilling capacity. Flexibility is key.
Looking ahead: scaling up, staying agile
“We’ve worked with Marel since 2008. And with the way we’re evolving, I see us working together for many years to come.”
Himmerlandskød’s journey with Marel is far from over. What began with a bold idea has grown into one of Europe’s most digitally advanced beef processing facilities.
Conclusion: partnership in progress
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