As a result of the acquisition, Laser-Aitta, a company focused exclusively on sheet metal cutting, will be able to offer more and improved services to its customers. Development of the sheet metal cutting business with Ardor, and delivery of sheet metal products to shipyard customers, are an important part of the newly-founded company’s business.
NEWS RELEASE 3RD NOVEMBER 2021
Ardor has sold its sheet metal business to Laser-Aitta Ltd. on 1st November 2021. Laser-Aitta was founded in the fall of 2021 and specializes in sheet metal cutting. Jani Tamminen, who was previously in charge of Ardor’s sheet metal business, is the CEO of the company.
“I am really excited about leading this new company. At Ardor, we produced sheet metal products for shipyards, but there is high demand for sheet metal cutting and significant growth potential in other sectors too”, Tamminen says.
Tamminen has extensive experience in sheet metal business development. He worked for 14 years at Trimet, after which he founded Ardor’s sheet metal business in the fall of 2020. In just one year, the sheet metal business has gone from scratch to become a significant part of the business.
“Jani included many customers already at the prototype phase of the project. By utilizing his expertise from the get-go, we were able to develop a cost-effective workflow suited to the customer’s requirements” says Ardor’s CEO, Henri Hyvärinen.
New customers in the furniture and healthcare sectors
The basic principles of high-quality sheet metal production are the same regardless of the sector. Above all, Tamminen sees the benefits of the acquisition as serving new customer segments. In addition to heavy-duty products for shipyards, Laser-Aitta’s cutting technology is capable of producing products for both the furniture industry and the healthcare instruments industry.
“We inherit many great customers from Ardor, but thanks to our new company, its look and feel, and our website, we are now visible to customers from other sectors too”, Tamminen explains.
When Ardor’s sheet metal business was founded, the idea above all else was to serve Ardor’s shipyard customers in a more comprehensive way. In addition to its own piping solutions, Ardor delivered structural ducts that carry air-conditioning solutions on ships.
“Thanks to Jani’s development work, the sheet metal business portfolio increased dramatically throughout the year. It became clear that the best solution was for both Ardor and Laser-Aitta respectively to focus solely on their core competencies” says Hyvärinen.
Laser-Aitta Ltd. is owned by its top-level management and Ardor. The ownership base is strengthened by the strong development of Laser-Aitta the strategy implementation of both companies.
Technology and employees are the most important resources
As a result of the acquisition, the cutting plant in Naantali and its machinery, as well as six full-time employees and eight temporary employees, will move over to Laser-Aitta.
“Our employees are our most important asset. They are all highly skilled with extensive experience. A confident and independent approach to work is a great advantage in demanding jobs”, says Tamminen.
Laser-Aitta sheet metal products are cut using ADH lasers. During his time at Ardor, Tamminen developed software that can convert the customer’s designs directly to the 3D model demanded by the laser cutter. It brings speed, efficiency and consistency to the cutting process. The combination of high-level technology and employee skill has brought praise from customers.
“Ready parts do not need to be banged into place, rather they fit just as they should. Perfectly performed cutting speeds up the customer’s work at the shipyard, and they appreciate that”, Hyvärinen says.
Collaboration between the companies continues and develops
Laser-Aitta’s goal is to create 2.5 – 3 million euros in turnover in its first year, which it intends to increase in subsequent years. According to Tamminen, this will require the procurement of another, more efficient laser cutter, as well as recruiting more skilled labor. The company also plans to move from its current 700m2 cutting plant to bigger premises during the first year. Laser-Aitta is a trusted partner to Ardor.
“At Ardor we fully support the development work at Laser-Aitta, and for certain projects we will also procure sheet metal products from them as a customer”, Hyvärinen says.
MORE DETAILS
Henri Hyvärinen
CEO, Ardor
+358 40 523 7576
Jani Tamminen
CEO, Laser-Aitta Ltd.
+358 30 627 2401