Born to be Bodum

When Jørgen Bodum finished his business studies in Copenhagen, his mother set him an ultimatum: come work at the family company or sell it.

That company was Bodum, a table and kitchenware company founded by Jørgen’s father Peter Bodum in 1944.

Thankfully, the decision was a simple one as Jørgen had always wanted to follow in his father’s footsteps. While other children were busy playing outdoors and skiing on their holidays, from a young age Jørgen would work in the family warehouse and production centre.

Sadly, Jorgen’s father died when he was only 17. His mother, who he describes as “tiny but strong”, took over the running of the business after Peter’s passing. “Despite everyone telling her she could not run a company, she did very well. She is, as well as my father, the reason [Bodum still exists today],” Jørgen says.

In the early years, Bodum imported glassware