Christian Hansen is celebrating 25 years at the Port of Grenaa and will turn 60 in July. Over the years, he has helped shape the port’s development, and even after a quarter-century spent among cranes, ships, large-scale operations, and massive machines, he has no plans to give up life on the docks.
The port hasn’t really woken up yet when Christian Hansen arrives at the lunchroom at Grenaa Harbor, which is located next to the commercial port’s machine shop.
He unloads the dishwasher, makes coffee for his coworkers, and enjoys the peace and quiet until the clock strikes and the workday begins. He drinks his coffee every day from the same cup, and Mr. Hansen—as his coworkers like to call him—naturally has a regular seat in the lunchroom as well.
For 25 years, Christian Hansen—who will also turn 60 in July—has spent most of his waking hours loading and unloading ships as a crane operator and handling a wide variety of tasks as part of the service team at the Port of Grenaa. It’s a diverse mix of planned and unexpected tasks that arise when navigating a workday involving large machines and ship operations involving tons of cargo.
“Even though I’m very much a creature of habit, I also like it when something unexpected happens. There’s always something exciting going on at the harbor, and we never quite know what the day will bring,” says Christian Hansen, explaining how he was called out to the harbor earlier that day to watch a ferry being lifted.
By the way, he should also keep an eye on the phone, because the port’s largest crane—the Mantsinen 300DEMG, also known as Goliath—is being serviced by a repairman.
“It’s nothing serious,” he says reassuringly, as if it were a beloved family member.
Christian's crane
And even though the 428-ton crane—with a reach of 40 meters and a lifting capacity of up to 50 metric tons—is owned by the Port of Grenaa, Christian Hansen refers to the crane as “mine.” He was also closely involved in the acquisition of the crane, which was purchased to increase the port’s capacity.
“I like big machines. It’s exciting when something new comes along and you have to get to know it. The Mantsinen is my third new crane. It’s great to get to experience that. It’s important to me that my work continues to challenge me. A new crane does just that—I have to get to know it and get the most out of it during operations.”
His coworkers also know that Christian Hansen takes extra good care of his equipment.
The machines are always fueled up, lubricated, and ready for the next job. And if he happens to have a rare day off, it’s standard practice for him to call his boss around 8:15 a.m. to check in, and he often stops by the harbor as well.
Torben Koustrup, head of the operations department at the Port of Grenaa, explains:
“He just needs to take a quick look, check the crane, and make sure it’s not leaking oil, and then he’ll be good to go again,” he says with a smile, adding:
“Christian is very particular about making sure the machines are ready for the day’s operations. Everything has to run smoothly and be in top condition. And if anyone else has operatedhis crane, it must be returned in the same condition as when it was received.”
Christian Hansen's immediate supervisor, Torben Koustrup, gave a speech at the anniversary celebration, which was held at the Grenaa Port workshop on Thursday, June 18.
Yes to machines—no to dairy cows
Before Christian Hansen was hired at the Port of Grenaa, he worked at Thor Fisk, where, among other things, he operated a forklift at the large fish processing plant, which at the time had 800 employees. When his father fell ill with cancer, Christian Hansen took over the family farm at Fornæs:
“I realized that I’m a very social person. Walking around among all those dairy cows wasn’t really my thing. I had to decide whether to go all in on the dairy cows and build a new barn. But I knew that I’m very sociable and thrive best when working outdoors. I needed to get out and be around people and machines.”
The choice fell on the harbor.
Over the years, he has witnessed port expansions, new terminal areas, and investments in modern equipment. At the same time, operations in the bulk business segment have grown significantly, tripling in the last three years alone. Christian Hansen has played a central role in this as part of the port’s operations department, which today has 10 employees, including six crane operators.
Is skilled in operating all of the port's machinery
In 2015, at the urging of his boss at the time, Christian Hansen obtained his crane operator’s license. This added a new passion to his list of machinery—which, on the home front, also includes a combine harvester and several New Holland and Ford tractors.
“Getting my crane operator’s license was the worst thing I’ve ever done. It wasn’t like me at all to be sitting in a classroom, having to go up to the board and present all kinds of calculations. But I made it through—and I certainly haven’t regretted it.”
The port’s large machines—especially hydraulic cranes—are close to his heart. So is the Port of Grenaa as a company and a workplace.
“I’m sure Christian has many loves in his life, but one of the greatest is undoubtedly the Port of Grenaa. He is dedicated, proud, and very meticulous when it comes to the machinery and tasks he’s responsible for. He’s really just a big kid who’s crazy about machines,” says Torben Koustrup, emphasizing that the honoree is also known for offering a bit of pushback and not always jumping right into something new.
“He’s always tackling a new, big project, enjoys challenging me, and can handle a bit of resistance. But once he gets past that, he’s incredibly solution-oriented and skilled at planning and optimizing operations to make them as efficient as possible. He is highly regarded by both customers and business partners. He can operate all of the port’s machinery—and he’s always happy to lend a hand, whether it’s in the crane, the forklift, the re-stacker, or working on the ground.”
The port director gives a speech in honor of the honoree.
A Key Role in a Growing Company
Over the past 25 years, Christian Hansen has managed to find his place in a growing company that has welcomed more and more colleagues.
“Christian is good at welcoming new colleagues—he needs to get to know them first, but once he has, he helps them find their footing. He means a lot to the community; he’s someone you can laugh at and laugh with,” says Director Henrik Carstensen, who has led the port for the past 11 years, and adds:
“Christian has seen the port through tougher times, and he has been part of the development we see today. He takes care of his cranes as if they were his own and is always ready to put in an extra shift. But most importantly, he is a fantastic colleague and ambassador for the Port of Grenaa. I simply don’t think he can imagine a life without the port—and we have a hard time imagining the port without Christian.”
Christian Hansen has been employed at the Port of Grenaa for 25 years. One of his absolute favorite machines is the large 428-ton Mantsinen crane, which has a reach of 40 meters and a lifting capacity of up to 50 metric tons.
