Acoustic engineer Gunnar Rasmussen, who founded GRAS Sound & Vibration, celebrated his 90th birthday on November 23.
Shortly after his graduation, Rasmussen was hired by Danish audio pioneers Brüel & Kjær, who sent him to the USA in the 1950s to promote products and manage the after-sales service.
Through his intense involvement in all kinds of acoustical measurement projects, Rasmussen realized that the microphones available at that time needed some serious improvements. After returning to Denmark, he set out to develop a new generation of microphones using the most advanced materials and assembly techniques. The outcome was a new, revolutionary and simple design, which for the past 60 years has been widely used for all types of professional acoustic measurements and has been internationally standardized.
At the age of 67, Rasmussen left Brüel & Kjær and founded GRAS Sound & Vibration in 1994. The new company quickly grew into a respected and leading manufacturer of measurement microphones. His sons Per Rasmussen and Peter Wulf-Andersen now fulfill key R&D roles at GRAS Sound & Vibration, while Lars Kjærgaard, who joined the company in 2011, has been serving as CEO since 2014. As chairman, Rasmussen continues to guide the company.
November 26, 2015
