Our history
The Finn-Rotor Group sells its products both under its own brand and as private label products, and produces self-designed hydraulic rotator and control valves for cranes intended for forest and bulk material handling.
The company is one of the most significant players in its field globally, the sales network covers more than 40 different countries and the turnover is approx. 10 million. euro. The company employs approx. 30 people, and approx. 100 people in its production network.
The company, founded in 1982, started actual production operations 40 years ago in Saarijärvi in 1983 by the original entrepreneurs Pekka Rutanen and Jaakko Mäkelä. The generational change was implemented in 2003 and the family company is currently owned by the Mäkelä’s brothers Jussi and Janne, in the second generation. As of the year 2022, the company has been fully operated in its current hometown of Pärnu, Estonia, while the parent company is still located in Saarijärvi.
Timeline
1982 Finn-Rotor Oy’s official founding year.
1983 The actual operation started in Finland, Saarijärvi and the first prototype of two chambers, an infinitely rotating turning device was completed.
1986 The company expanded from its sales network to the Nordic countries.
1989 Invested in modern production equipment, with sales growing at a 30% rate.
1991 A quality and environmental system was introduced in accordance with the ISO standard.
1994 The factory was expanded, and a new headquarters was built into Uuraistentie.
1997 The factory was expanded and production was extensively automated.
1998 The product range was expanded to also include control valves used in loaders.
2000 Hydraulic control valve production moved from Vaasa to Saarijärvi.
2001 Production premises were expanded.
2003 A generational change took place and the new main owners, brothers Jussi and Janne Mäkelä, took over the management after former entrepreneurs Pekka Rutanen and Jaakko Mäkelä stepped aside from operations.
2004 A new assembly plant was completed, and the Quality and environmental systems were certified by DNV.
2005 Outsourcing of component production was started and a subsidiary was founded in Pärnu, Estonia, as the market concentratedTo the Baltics more and more strongly.
In the 2010s, the Company has continued its growth by expanding its premises several times, investing in product development and marketing. Competitiveness has taken care of with controlled outsourcing of production, and production transfer from Finland to Estonia in stages.
2021 An intra-group business transaction was carried out, with which the entire operation has been centralized in the Estonian company, and at the same time the current owners were step aside from operational activities, while they continue to act as active members of the board.
2023 Currently Managing Director Matti Övermark is responsible for the operational management.
The operation is focused on the design and production of own products sold under the Finn-Rotor brand and as private label products in Pärnu, Estonia. Over the decades, the operating principle of the current products has reached the industry-dominating “standard”, which is still based on a prototype manufactured 40 years ago in Saarijärvi.
