Gudme Møbelfabrik

Gudme Møbelfabrik was a Danish furniture manufacturer with a proud history in cabinetmaking, based in Gudme on the island of Funen. The company originated in 1913 when Jørgen Møller Nielsen established a small furniture workshop. After his death in 1927, the business was carried on by his wife and eldest son.

In May 1948, cabinetmaker Johannes Alfred Jensen took over the factory, ushering in a period of growth and innovation. While the early years were marked by production in oak and polished walnut, by the late 1950s Gudme had shifted towards teak and exotic woods such as Rio rosewood, aligning with the modern Scandinavian aesthetic of the era.

A devastating fire in December 1953 threatened the company’s future, but the factory was swiftly rebuilt, and new facilities opened the following year. By 1963, Gudme employed around 21 staff and had become an export-driven enterprise, supplying furniture to the United States, Germany, France, England, and Sweden, while only a small portion was sold domestically.

The company collaborated with designers such as Erik Buck and Erik Wørts, earning recognition for its craftsmanship and refined designs, particularly in dining tables, coffee tables, and shelving systems. Woods such as beech, oak, rosewood, and teak remained central to its production.

In 1970, Gudme became a limited company, Gudme Møbelfabrik A/S, and in 1974 leadership passed to Knud Jensen, son of Johannes. The firm later found significant success in Asia, especially Japan, but in 2008 production ceased, a casualty of the global financial crisis and shrinking demand for long-lasting consumer goods.

Sources:
Arne Norsk Nielsen / Gudme Local History Archive, 2020

‍