Danish Crown celebrated the official opening of the company's beef slaughter facility, the first to operate in Denmark for several decades, according to the company.
The facility is the part of the legacy of Lorenz Hansen, CEO of DC Beef. Hansen is retiring at the end of September.
"The idea was first broached in 1999, and at DC Beef we have waited a long time for this moment," Hansen said. "When walking through the slaughterhouse, I feel truly proud that we have such a facility in Denmark. That we have what I have no qualms about calling it the most modern cattle slaughterhouse in the world."
Roughly 220 people attended the festivities, including Prince Joachim of Denmark. Prince Joachim wielded a meat cleaver instead of the tradition scissors, while the ribbon was replaced by a leather strap across a chopping block.
"We are standing in front of a huge venture," Prince Joachim said. "It is far from every decade that sees the realization of projects on this scale. At the same time, the slaughterhouse is a truly visionary step. It shows that we should not only think about the present, but try to look many years into the future of Danish farming.
"I congratulate Danish Crown and everybody else on the opening of the world's most modern cattle slaughterhouse," Prince Joachim added before chopping the string in half.
Following the string-cutting ceremony, Prince Joachim received a guided tour of the slaughterhouse.
