The story
Founded by Villum Kann Rasmussen in 1941, in Hørsholm.1
1941–1950s: Founding and early years
The VELUX Group traces its origins to 1941, when civil engineer Villum Kann Rasmussen founded V. Kann Rasmussen & Co. in Copenhagen, Denmark, specializing in glass roofs. In 1942, he was commissioned to supply roof windows for Slagelse Vestre school in Zealand, where attics were being converted into classrooms. The Danish Ministry of Education required that these new classrooms provide access to natural light and ventilation.
To meet this demand, Kann Rasmussen developed a roof window comparable in quality to traditional vertical windows. The design combined a wooden frame with external zinc cladding to improve durability and weather resistance. He named his windows “Standard” because they were made in standard sizes that fit normal rafter spacing in Denmark. However, on the first invoice, he wrote the name VELUX – derived from "ventilation" and lux, the Latin word for light. VELUX was registered as a trademark in Denmark on October 3, 1942.
Early VELUX windows enabled the conversion of attic spaces into habitable rooms during a time when new housing construction was restricted due to the Second World War. In 1945, Kann Rasmussen introduced a pivot hinge and tilting sash design that allowed cleaning from the inside, securing patents for these innovations in 1948 and 1949.
Production initially relied on subcontractors in Copenhagen, but in 1946 Kann Rasmussen established manufacturing in Østbirk, supported by family investment. In 1950, the company assumed full ownership of the Østbirk facility, which became A/S Østbirk Bygningsindustri and was gradually industrialized through the 1950s.
1950s–1990s: International expansion in Europe
VELUX expanded internationally through licensing agreements and subsidiaries. In 1942, the company entered the Swedish market through a partnership with Icopal’s local branch, later marketing products under the name SVITA.
In 1952, Kann Rasmussen established cooperation with the German firm ALDRA, co-founding a sales company in Hamburg. ALDRA produced windows for the German market under license, while fittings and technical expertise were supplied from Denmark. Income from the growing German business financed further expansion.
In 1954, a subsidiary was established in the United Kingdom, followed by operations in France and Austria in 1964. By 1970, VELUX employed around 1,000 people across 13 countries.
During the late 1960s, the company developed a new hinge system for steep roofs such as French mansards, which had slopes of about 70 degrees. The resulting VELUX GGL window, launched in 1968, incorporated several new features including a top-operated control bar, ventilation flap, friction mechanism, and in-house produced double glazing. The GGL model was introduced in Germany in 1969, where it achieved significant commercial success.
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VELUX entered the United States market in 1975, establishing a sales company in Boston and later a production facility in Greenwood, South Carolina in 1978–1979. Expansion followed in Japan (1981) and Eastern Europe (from 1986), beginning with Hungary. During the 1990s, operations extended throughout Central and Eastern Europe, South America, Asia, and Australia.
In these years, the product portfolio expanded from a single product to a full range, including top-hung roof windows, roller shutters, electric-powered windows, and sun-screening products.
1960s–1980s: Generational changes and values
By the mid-1960s, Villum Kann Rasmussen had begun to consider succession. In 1965, Villum Kann Rasmussen formulated the Model Company Objective by which the VELUX Group committed itself to producing products "that were useful to society" and to "treating its customers, suppliers, employees of all categories and shareholders better than most companies".
In 1973, the statement was amended to include that a "model company" must also generate profits to ensure economic growth and independence. It was an attempt to pass on the values Villum Kann Rasmussen had lived by to future leaders and employees.
In 1971, the Villum Foundation (originally named the VELUX Foundation) was founded as the main shareholder. As the company grew and needed to make more donations, a new foundation, the VELUX Foundation, was established in 1981. Foundation activities were expanded with the Swiss VELUX Stiftung in 1980 and the V. Kann Rasmussen Foundation (USA) in 1991. That same year, an employee foundation for the VKR Group was established.
In 1992, Villum Kann Rasmussen's eldest son, Lars Kann-Rasmussen, born in 1939, took over from Villum, who chaired the management of V. Kann Rasmussen Industri – the parent company of the VELUX Group.
Lars Kann-Rasmussen continued his father's life's work. Trained as an engineer, he began as an assistant at VELUX France in 1964. After a post in Germany, he became managing director of the company Dansk VELUX A/S in 1971, later in the 1970s taking charge of sales and product development for the international VELUX business.
Villum Kann Rasmussen passed away in 1993, aged 84. He lived to see his one-man company from 1941 grow into a major international group with solid market shares and a clarified ownership structure.
1990s–2020s: Modern era
Under Lars Kann-Rasmussen's leadership, VELUX evolved into a modern global company, expanding production capacity and introducing energy-efficient designs.
Around 1990, he began emphasizing sustainability, leading to the establishment of an Environmental Committee in Søborg in the mid-1990s. The committee's goal was to promote and coordinate environmental initiatives across the VKR Group.
In 1997, the Our Shared Vision strategy was launched at the first VELUX World Conference, focusing on improving living conditions under sloped roofs. In 2001, VELUX A/S became the parent company for all VELUX activities, while VKR Holding A/S continued as parent company of the wider VKR Group. In 2002, VELUX acquired its long-time German partner ALDRA's operations, consolidating production and sales.
In the 2000s, the VELUX Group launched a series of animated television commercials titled Toys to highlight themes of daylight and fresh air.
In 2005, the VELUX Group introduced a corporate vision statement: "To lead the development of better living environments with daylight and fresh air through the roof." The vision reflected an emphasis on natural daylight, ventilation, and the company's role in improving indoor living conditions.
In 2009, the Model Home 2020 project began. It is a vision for climate neutral buildings with a high degree of liveability. It involved the construction of six different houses in five countries across Europe.
In 2012, the VELUX Group stepped into the commercial, non-residential market by launching VELUX Modular Skylights. To grow its commercial division, VELUX made three acquisitions in 2018: Wasco Products Inc., also known as Wasco Skylights, one of America's oldest and largest skylight manufacturers; JET-Group, a leading European supplier of daylight solutions, ventilation products and smoke and heat exhaust ventilation systems; and Vitral, which sells skylights and glass-roof systems in Denmark and England. In 2019, VELUX Commercial was established.
In 2018, the VELUX Group entered the smart home market with VELUX ACTIVE, an integrated system in one kit to address the global demand for smarter homes.
In 2020, the group launched a new sustainability strategy, a ten-year plan outlining initiatives on climate and nature action, sustainable product innovation, and responsible business practices. The strategy includes a commitment to account for both past and future carbon emissions.
In 2023, the first of seven new Co2-neutral demonstration buildings were inaugurated in Copenhagen. The project comprised two fully habitable houses and five test pavilions. The houses were part of the VELUX Group's 2030 housing concept "Living Places". The homes were sketched and designed according to EU's climate plan, which was based on the Paris Agreement's 2015 climate goals. The plan calls for a 40% reduction of greenhouse gases by 2030 compared to 1990 level.
In September 2024, the next generational transition was completed in the VKR Group. Ownership was now shared between the main shareholder Villum Foundation and the new A-shareholders, Lars Kann-Rasmussen's sons Jens and Mads Kann-Rasmussen.
From Wikipedia’s article on VELUX, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.5