Finnchain’s tale began in 1982, when Pekka Tuomikoski established Ketjumyynti Tuomikoski Ky in Rauma, Finland. The company concentrated in providing steel chain collectors mainly for forest, paper and pulp industry as well as wastewater treatment plants. From the very beginning, operations were heavily focused on product development. The first innovations of the company, the notched-link chain and new type of chain wheel, were developed in only two years after the company was founded.
The testing of new chain collectors began in a wastewater treatment plant in Hämeenlinna already the same year. The test results were so good, that it was decided to focus the operations mainly on the environmental sector. This was a turning point in the company’s long-term growth and chain technology development.
Growth into an international operator
Due to strong product development, the systems were also marketed abroad. Therefore Pekka’s daughter, Leena Tuomikoski, founded a new sales company Finnchain Oy in 1992. During the 1990s, Finnchain invested heavily in becoming an international operator. The company took part in many trade fairs and events around the world. During these years, cooperation agreements are signed to Sweden, Great Britain, Germany, Austria, Switzerland and Taiwan, among others. In the early 2000s, Finnchain makes an agreement with the Japanese Ebara Corporation, which is a respected manufacturer of wastewater cleaning systems.
Exports were continuously growing and by 2002, Finnchain had grown larger than Ketjumyynti. Soon after, Finnchain acquired Ketjumyynti, which was made a fully owned subsidiary.
Big international deliveries begin
The first large delivery, 128 sludge scraper systems, was installed in Psyttalia wastewater treatment plant in Athens in 2008. This project, raised Finnchain reliability as sludge scraper supplier to a new level. In the forthcoming years 2005-2007, many deliveries were made for example, 90 doubletank chain scraper systems to treatment plant in Besos Spain and 80 scraper systems to Malaysia Kuala Lumpur.
In 2008 the President of Finland, Tarja Halonen, rewarded Finnchain with an Innovation award (the “Innosuomi-award”) for recognition of its strong product development. Shortly prior to this, the company had patented a new wastewater sludge removal system. Two years later, Finnchain was also rewarded with the “Satakunta Entrepreneur of the Year” awar. Soon after the company name Finnchain, as having become both internationally and domestically significant brand, was merged with Ketjumyynti under the name Finnchain.
Finnchain has assertively enlarged its market area, exporting its products
to over 50 countries. Finnchain’s strong expertise and continuous product
development have resulted in a number of patents for water and
wastewater treatment, which have been utilized all over the world for
decades. The operation continues strong.