Thirty years ago, Karl Erik Molbech's idea to solve odor problems in slurry was the start of a journey to offer a slurry additive that not only reduces odor, but also binds nitrogen, reduces ammonia emissions, and homogenizes slurry for easier handling.
74 years old and still just as passionate about what Karl Erik Molbech has devoted 30 years of his life to. For over 30 years he has developed and sold slurry additives with proven effects on the environment, consistency and yield.
Karl Erik Molbech has been driven by his passion and desire to create and offer the best slurry additive for agriculture. When he went self-employed with Active NS in his company FCSI 10 years ago, work trumped an approaching retirement.
"Since 2011, I have been working on documenting the properties of Active NS as a slurry additive to have evidence of the additive's efficacy in the field. We are still continuing to document and test our products, for example we are currently running tests in Spain and with Aarhus University, where we are measuring the reduction of greenhouse gases by using Active NS in slurry. We will never stop documenting and testing," says Karl Erik Molbech, owner and CEO of FCSI.
FCSI stands for Farm Care Service International, and as the name suggests, Karl Erik Molbech is all about the company servicing international agriculture with products that help the industry. Active NS also stands for Active Nitrogen Slurry and refers to the beneficial effect of fixing nitrogen in the soil when using the additive in slurry.
When Karl Erik Molbech started developing slurry additives, for many customers it was about the additive making the slurry more homogeneous in consistency and reducing odor. In recent years, however, market trends have shifted to focus more on the environment and climate, to which Active NS contributes.
Precisely because of the additive's many possibilities, it has been important for Karl Erik Molbech to ensure the documentation of Active NS' properties:
What do you get out of Active NS as a farmer? Read the article about pig farmer Verner Nielsen, who uses the slurry additive on his farm
"Active NS differentiates itself from other products and is also the most thoroughly tested slurry additive on the market. The product is continuously tested in Denmark and abroad, and currently the Danish Technological Institute is testing a completely new measuring device, in which Active NS is also included together with other technologies, in order to document the effect of these to reduce emissions from the barn to the field," says Karl Erik Molbech and continues:
"We are constantly working to make Active NS even better. And in this context, we can reveal that a new product will soon be launched under the name Active NS Plus."
Just as trends and market focus have changed since Karl Erik Molbech started selling slurry additives, so have the sales channels. What was once handled solely by the physical meeting, a letter or a phone call is now increasingly being replaced by online sales. FCSI is experiencing this too.
"In general, the digital need in agriculture has not been very big, but it is developing a lot in these years, so I think it is an advantage that we can be there from the beginning. There is a young generation coming into agriculture that is more digital and wants to order more digitally," says Karl Erik Molbech.
FCSI is therefore a distributor of Maykers, which offers easier access to agricultural products for the farming industry.
"We want to reach the last farmers and here I see Maykers as a good platform for me. With all my years in the business, I also have to admit that if you want to do something new yourself, like selling online, it's much harder to do alone than if you join forces with several people," says Karl Erik Molbech.
Karl Erik Molbech should have retired when he started FCSI, but passion drove him on. Like many farmers, the job is not just a job but a lifestyle, and it's hard to be one without the other. That's why Karl Erik Molbech is happy where he is now.
"It has been an exciting and educational journey, where our products have seen the light of day in several markets around the world. If I had given up on my ideas at the beginning, I wouldn't be here and my company would be closed. But I have persevered and believed that I would succeed, and now I am here with a great product and a successful business that delivers value to farmers around the world," says Karl Erik Molbech.
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