The locomotives and trains were mainly purchased from Germany or England and it became a priority for the government to establish a domestic production to ensure supply security in a politically uncertain time.

The First World War and the events leading up to it delayed the process but in 1919 Frich was selected to enter a 5-year contract with Danish State Railways as the exclusive domestic producer of locomotives licensed from the German company Borsig.

[1][4] Through the early 20th century to the 1950s Frichs produced a long range of licensed steam and diesel locomotives and it became the main revenue stream for the company.

The production of the units became a political matter between the government, unions and industry as it was debated if Frichs had the technical skill and know-how to produce the diesel trains.

In 1986, the production site in Åbyhøj, Aarhus was repurposed as a business park now known as Frichsparken, owned and administered by construction company Byggeselskab Olav de Linde.