Niels Bendtsen (born 1943 in Denmark) has always been exposed to design and craftsmanship. After emigrating in 1951 to Canada, he began to apprentice under his father, a cabinetmaker who worked under Jacob Kjaer, and continued to build Scandinavian furniture when in Canada. Starting in 1963, Bendtsen had his own retail store where he sold his father's designs, as well as other pieces from Scandinavia. Through this retail experience, he started to learn more about design and manufacturing... in 1972, he sold his store and moved to Denmark to work as a full time designer. While there he worked for a number of Scandinavian companies, including Eilersen, Ikea, and Kebe. It was during this time that he designed the Ribbon chair (1975) for Kebe - this piece is included in the permanent collection of New York's Museum of Modern Art. Bendtsen returned to Canada in the 1980s and has continued to create work his namesake brand, Bensen, as well as Keilhauer, Linteloo, and Montis.