How a small metal workshop in Sodankylä developed an unknown lifting product for the global market, found customers on five continents, and eventually found a successor to carry the work forward.
When a small metal industry company was founded in Sodankylä in the spring of 1977, few could have imagined that decades later its lifting equipment would be used around the world from automotive workshops to heavy rail maintenance facilities.
One man has witnessed the company’s entire journey from the very beginning to the present day: Matti Ranttila.
His nearly 50-year career with Nordlift includes the highs of Finnish industry, the recession of the early 1990s, bankruptcy, and an entirely new beginning. First 15 years as an employee and then 34 years as an entrepreneur.
Throughout it all, one principle remained unchanged: products must constantly evolve.
From a Local Metal Workshop to a Career for a Young Engineer
Matti Ranttila graduated as an engineer from the Technical Institute of Turku in the spring of 1977. He quickly found work in his hometown of Sodankylä, where a newly established metal industry company had just started operations. The company had celebrated its opening on April 1st, and Ranttila began working as a production supervisor one month later.
The original idea was to manufacture concrete reinforcement products for the construction industry. However, it soon became clear that competition was tough and the products offered too little added value. Something else was needed.
The answer was vehicle lifts.
We quickly started developing more technically demanding products for automotive workshops, Ranttila recalls.
From the beginning, Nordlift’s lifts stood out from competitors. Instead of traditional two-post lifts, the company developed a single-post solution where one side remained completely open, an entirely new idea at the time.
Workshop spaces became much more efficient to use when one side of the vehicle remained free of a pillar.
Product development was the right direction. Export operations gradually began, while production was concentrated in Sodankylä and sales and marketing were handled from Helsinki.
Recession, Bankruptcy and a New Beginning
The early 1990s changed Finnish industry dramatically.
When the recession hit in 1991, domestic trade nearly came to a complete stop. Lift production collapsed from hundreds of units to only a few dozen, and the company went bankrupt. The situation could have ended the entire story, but instead it became the beginning of a new chapter.
By then, Ranttila had already managed the factory’s production for around ten years, and his expertise was well known in the region. The idea of entrepreneurship ultimately came from outside the company.
A business analyst from the regional development fund suggested that I continue the factory’s operations as an entrepreneur. It was a big decision and definitely required careful consideration.
Eventually, the decision was made. On February 27, 1992, Nordlift Oy was established to continue operations.
The company’s domestic sales manager and export sales manager also joined as shareholders, people who believed in the product despite the difficult circumstances. And although Finland was in the middle of a deep recession, one thing helped: exports began to grow strongly thanks to the devaluation of the Finnish markka.
Continuous Product and Production Development Took Nordlift Worldwide
If Nordlift’s history could be summarised in one theme, it would be continuous development of both products and production. When the company purchased its first robotic welding station, the equipment suppliers were surprised. Who in Lapland would need a welding robot? For Nordlift, the investment was essential to ensure consistent quality and production efficiency.
In the 1990s, Nordlift developed the first U3500 drive-on lift, which later evolved into the UC4000K and UC6000K models designed for vehicle inspection stations. These became market leaders in Finland and Sweden.
In the 2000s, development expanded into heavy-duty lifting equipment. In 2000, Nordlift introduced the HDL7500, a wheel-engaging heavy vehicle lift with a lifting capacity of 7.5 tonnes per column. Just a few years later, the same technology was adapted for railway waggon and locomotive maintenance.
In the largest systems, there have been 20 columns with a lifting capacity of 20 tonnes per column. They can lift a 400-tonne train approximately 150 metres long up to two metres high.
Nordlift lifts were manufactured and delivered worldwide according to customer-specific needs.
Europe’s Largest Vehicle Lift Manufacturer Became Interested in Sodankylä
One of the most significant moments came in 1996, when Danish company Stenhöj Autolift, then Europe’s largest vehicle lift manufacturer, wanted to become a shareholder in Nordlift.
Stenhöj acquired one-third of the company and began selling Nordlift lifts under its own name and branding. The impact on the business was substantial.
Stenhöj brought a great deal of credibility to our products, and after that we started receiving enquiries from other European manufacturers as well.
Later, Nordlift lifts were sold under several different brands across Europe. During the best years, nearly one thousand lifts were manufactured annually.
From Sodankylä to the World
Although the location in Lapland brought its own challenges, it was never seen as an obstacle.
In the early years, regional development support and transportation subsidies helped balance the costs of operating in the north. Over time, however, the importance of those subsidies decreased. Still, production remained in Sodankylä.
And perhaps that is part of Nordlift’s story: things were never done the easy way but with long-term commitment and determination.
Northern Finland’s mining industry also brought various subcontracting projects over the years, but Nordlift’s core business always remained lifting solutions and their continuous development.
The Next Chapter with Veslatec
In 2023, Nordlift became part of Veslatec.
The connection was made almost by coincidence during discussions between Ranttila’s long-time business consultant and Veslatec’s Aki Norrbacka. The idea immediately felt natural.
Nordlift products include many laser-cut components that I had already been sourcing for years from Evijärvi, right next to Veslatec. Now more of the value creation happens under the same roof.
For Ranttila, the most important qualities in choosing a successor were industrial experience, expertise, and a strong production capability.
And above all, ensuring that decades of development work would continue.
Selling the company brought only positive feelings. I had always hoped that all this development work would continue into the future.
“You Have to Be Willing to Take on Challenges”
When a man who has spent nearly 50 years in the same industry is asked for advice to younger generations, the answer comes quickly.
You have to be willing to take on challenges without prejudice when they come your way.
It sounds simple. But in many ways, it summarises Nordlift’s entire history.
Becoming an entrepreneur during a recession. Developing entirely new types of lifts. Exporting products worldwide from Sodankylä. Building massive lifting systems for trains.
None of it was achieved by playing it safe.
And that is exactly why the Nordlift story continues.
