Henrik Mortensen on the roots of CM Aqua

A question about filtration does not always begin with the filter. Henrik Mortensen wants to understand what is happening in the water first. Is the problem caused by a parasite or by algae? What size is the organism? The answers can help determine what type of filtration makes sense for the system.

That curiosity has followed Henrik from the eel farm where he grew up to the company he founded with Kurt Carlsen in 2012. They shared a passion for aquaculture and wanted to build a business where they could stay personally involved in customers’ challenges. For them, understanding the problem and working towards a solution mattered as much as supplying the equipment.

Today, Henrik contributes to selected projects and specialist challenges. We asked him to reflect on where that approach came from, how it shaped CM Aqua and what he hopes the next generation will carry forward.

Learning by doing

Henrik’s understanding of aquaculture began on the eel farm where he grew up. He learned about fish, water and recirculation at a time when the technology was still relatively new and much of the knowledge came from practical experience.

“Back then, recirculating water was still quite new. You learned a lot from the technology – and from the mistakes that were inevitably made along the way,”

Henrik recalls

Those experiences led him to study biology, specialising in fish biology. He went on to work in the international aquaculture industry, gaining experience with sales, customers and the systems they depended on. Over time, biological knowledge and practical experience became closely connected in the way he approached a customer’s challenge.

Built to stay close to the customer

By the time Henrik and Kurt started CM Aqua, they both knew the aquaculture industry well. They also shared a feeling that there was room for a more personal way of working with customers. They wanted to understand the operations behind each request, stay involved when challenges arose and shape solutions around the conditions customers actually faced.

Their different strengths helped turn that ambition into a company. Kurt brought technical expertise; Henrik brought his background in biology and customer relationships.

“Kurt is the technical guy. He is a bit like a Swiss Army knife when it comes to anything technical,”

Henrik says.

He describes their different areas of expertise as a strong match.

Together, they could approach a challenge from several sides: what was happening biologically, what was technically possible and what would work in the customer’s operation. That combination became part of CM Aqua’s foundation. It also meant that the customer relationship continued beyond the initial request: if a problem arose, they wanted to be close enough to help find a way forward.

Experience applied to today’s challenges

Henrik now contributes specialist input when a project involves an unusual application or a particularly complex challenge. Filter sizing is one area where he draws on experience from the many systems and operating conditions he has encountered throughout his career.

For CM Aqua’s HEX drum filters , for example, sizing depends on factors such as water flow, particle load, fish species and production density. As Henrik’s example of parasites and algae shows, biological understanding can also help clarify what needs to be removed from the water before equipment is selected.

That attention to the application can be seen in CM Aqua’s wider work today. In its project with Cflow for the Salmon Garden facility, the CM Aqua team is supplying 22 HEX drum filters configured for the facility, including an integrated auto-wash system. Read the Cflow case

The project is one example of how CM Aqua’s team works with the conditions a solution needs to meet. It is also a natural continuation of the approach Henrik and Kurt wanted to build into the company.

What the next generation carries forward

CM Aqua has grown into a larger and more specialised organisation since Henrik and Kurt founded the company. Henrik is pleased to see Philip and Steffen contribute their biological knowledge, alongside the mechanical expertise of Stian and the team.

For Henrik, that growing expertise matters most when customers can feel its value. As new colleagues take the company forward, he hopes they will remain curious about each customer’s operation, take its challenges seriously and be there when a problem needs solving.

Asked what CM Aqua should hold on to, Henrik returns to the values on which he and Kurt built the company:

“The old core values. You have to stay close to your customers. And if there is a problem, you need to be there straight away.”

Let’s talk about your challenge

A good solution starts with understanding what is happening in your system. Tell us about your challenge, and we’ll get in touch to discuss your needs and how CM Aqua can help.