Obituary
By Elisabeth Weber, ESS
On October 4, 2022, Arne Nielsen, founder of Arne Nielsen Oliefyr & Gasteknik A/S, passed away peacefully, aged 81.
Arne Nielsen has had a great impact on both the OR-Ordningen and the Energy Industry Service Association (ESS) (formerly the Oil Industry Service Association (OSS)).
Arne Nielsen has been part of the industry since his apprenticeship, which started in 1956. He helped start the industry association Oil and Gas Burner Service Association (OSS) in the early 1970s. The industry association has now changed its name to: Energy Industry Service Association (ESS).
Arne Nielsen has always been known for expressing his opinion, which has also often been expressed in both Flammen, the former member magazine of the Energy Industry Service Association, and OR-Orientering. When you say Arne Nielsen, you can’t help but think of Oilon oil burners, these two names are inextricably linked. Since 1974, Arne Nielsen has had a collaboration with the Oilon group and in the spring of 1991 Arne Nielsen was granted import and distribution of Oilon’s entire burner program in Denmark, Greenland and the Faroe Islands. At that time, Oilon had been best known under the names Calpam Villa and Statoil LF.
Arne Nielsen had a very extensive knowledge in the oil burner area, a knowledge he was happy to share with others, many have over the years sat in Arne Nielsen’s meeting room on Solvangsvej in Køge/Herfølge to go home a lot wiser than when they arrived. This knowledge will be greatly missed.
When you say Arne Nielsen, the thought naturally comes to mind of Oilon Novox, a small compact oil burner that Arne Nielsen has developed for the Danish market in collaboration with Oilon Oy, but unfortunately the last burner of the type has left the assembly line.
In September 2019, Arne Nielsen Oliefyr & Gasteknik A/S celebrated its 50th anniversary. Even though Arne Nielsen was about to be a “young man”, he did not think about selling or closing his company. Every weekday from 7:00 to 16:00 he has been ready by the phones. Arne Nielsen continued to be part of the company’s operations until shortly before his death.
The company continues today with founder Rose-Marie Nielsen as owner and is in the process of a generational change.
On November 29, 2019, the Energy Industry Service Association appointed Arne Nielsen as an honorary member, a membership he proudly received.
Finally, I would like to personally thank Arne Nielsen: Thank you very much for the way you have been, always during my time at OSS, now ESS, I have been able to call you when I have needed help and advice, you have always had time to share your unimaginable knowledge of the industry with me, I will always be grateful to you for that.
Honor be to Arne Nielsen’s memory.