– High-quality aluminium profiles and smooth cooperation are clear strengths at Mäkelä, says Kari Salonsaari, CEO of Alutec Oy.

– There is always time for the customer. This is especially helpful in product development. The storage service, in turn, speeds up our own production chain, summarises Purchasing Manager Jarkko Somero.

From steel to aluminium

Alutec is a family business whose operations began in 1979 as part-time production of steel doors in the Salonsaari family’s garage. The business was started by Kari Salonsaari’s father. Over the years, the operations became full-time, the raw material of the doors changed to aluminium, and the product range began to expand. The company has grown steadily over the decades and today employs around 80 people.

– Our customers are mainly large and medium-sized construction companies, although there are also smaller ones. Our operations are divided into project business and terrace and balcony glazing solutions sold and installed through our reseller network. In project business, the focus is mainly on apartment and commercial construction, largely concentrated in the Helsinki metropolitan area, where we supply aluminium doors, windows and façade solutions such as various glass walls and roofs. Recently, projects have been located more widely across Finland, from Hanko to Levi, Kari Salonsaari continues.

Alutec’s production facilities and headquarters are located in Ylivieska, where there are two separate factories: one produces doors, windows and façade solutions for project business, and the other focuses on terrace and balcony glazing solutions. In addition, the company has offices in Vantaa, Oulu, Tampere and Turku.

– Our reseller network includes around 40 resellers across Finland. These are typically smaller glass installation companies or similar, who resell and install our terrace and balcony products. Mäkelä Alu produces aluminium profiles for us specifically for this market, Kari Salonsaari explains.

Appearance and fast deliveries matter

Alutec has invested in the digitalisation of its operations and is already highly digitalised for its size. Orders to Mäkelä Alu are also transmitted via an electronic interface.

– This significantly improves efficiency for both parties, as people do not need to manually enter data anywhere, which also eliminates typing errors. Order confirmations always arrive quickly from Mäkelä, within the same day, says Jarkko Somero.

Delivery time has been minimised thanks to the storage service.

– This clearly benefits us. The storage service speeds up our own production chain: we receive profiles quickly and can serve our customers smoothly. Especially with international customers, there may be a wide variety of colours, and we cannot anticipate these orders. But any colour can be delivered quickly from Mäkelä, Jarkko Somero notes.

Another important factor is the quality of the profiles. The profiles are delivered to Alutec already powder coated.

– The quality has been good. Of course, there are occasional issues, but considering the volume we receive, there are relatively few, Jarkko Somero says.

– The surface must be perfect, as the products are installed in visible places on terraces and balconies. They are often viewed from very close distances, and there must not be even the smallest defect, he adds.

Services that improve efficiency

In addition to the AluStorage® storage service, Alutec uses the AluBasket® logistics solution.

– We constantly have a large number of baskets in circulation. Some are in use and partially filled, others are empty. They can be stored compactly and are easy to handle with a forklift. The solution also reduces transport costs and improves occupational safety. The baskets also physically save space in the hall, says Jarkko Somero.

– In addition to speeding up our production chain, the storage service also saves money. Our own warehouse would require significant storage costs and tie up a lot of capital, Jarkko Somero reflects.

– Profiles arrive very quickly and go almost directly into production. This is another reason why quality must be top-class, as any quality issues would slow down our production, notes Kari Salonsaari.

Support in product development has also been an important advantage for Alutec.

– If we have any product development challenges, they are resolved quickly together with Mäkelä. Communication works smoothly, which helps move things forward quickly, Jarkko Somero adds.

– There is a lot of variation in our profiles, and we have a large number of tools: very small profiles as well as large ones. It is important that we can rely on the profile supplier when designing new tools, says Kari Salonsaari.

Architects usually aim to minimise the visible aluminium in their designs.

– In this context, usability of the profiles is also emphasised, and of course design plays a key role in achieving the best possible end result for the customer, Jarkko Somero states.

New potential in decorative coating

In some projects, Alutec has used the Decoral decorative coating. According to Jarkko Somero, it has even more potential.

– Decoral is a very striking and maintenance-free solution. It is suitable, for example, for balcony handrails in more visually demanding projects where a wood-like appearance is desired. In some projects, we have used a Decoral coating that imitates white oak, he says.

Looking ahead with confidence

Although the downturn in construction has also slowed Alutec’s growth figures, the company remains optimistic about the future. Responsible operations are also an important core value.

– We regularly measure employee satisfaction, and it has remained at a good level. We continuously invest in developing and improving our operations. Customer satisfaction is also at a good level, Kari Salonsaari says.

The company is also planning to expand its production facilities when the market improves.

– Investment decisions are somewhat difficult at the moment, but despite that, we acquired the Swedish company Balkongrutan Mälardalen AB at the turn of the year. Our goal is to strengthen our position in Sweden, says Kari Salonsaari.

– Despite the downturn, we aim to return to our previous growth levels and have set growth targets accordingly for the coming years, he adds.

The main image of the article features Veikko Nurkkala, who has extensive experience in aluminium construction.

Artikkeli The quality of aluminium profiles affects the final result of terrace and balcony glazing julkaistiin ensimmäisen kerran Mäkelä Alu Oy.

– We originally got to know Mäkelä Alu as a profile supplier through the Door and Window Section of the Wood Industry Entrepreneurs’ Association. Over the years, we have manufactured dozens of different profiles to meet our customers’ window and door needs, says Karelia Ikkuna’s Managing Director Otto Ahtonen.

The company was founded over 30 years ago by Kauko Ahtonen and his business partner Vesa Silvennoinen. Through a generational shift, responsibility for the company’s operational activities has been transferred to the next generation of the founders.

The company’s production facilities are located in Hammaslahti near Joensuu, as well as in Kerimäki and Hartola, but its area of operation covers all of Finland.

– Our customers include private consumers, construction companies, hardware stores, house manufacturers, and housing cooperatives. The projects vary greatly, and we always deliver windows tailored to the customer’s building, says Otto Ahtonen.

A sustainable approach to manufacturing has supported the company’s growth. Currently, Karelia Ikkuna employs about 70 people across its three production facilities.

– The production of wood-aluminium windows is concentrated at the Hammaslahti factory. Fixed windows are manufactured at the Kerimäki factory, and balcony doors are produced in Hartola, summarises Otto Ahtonen.

Powder-coated aluminium profiles in the final product

All Karelia Ikkuna products use aluminium profiles, which are typically powder-coated as part of the surface treatment.

– Aluminium profiles are mainly used in the exterior cladding of windows and doors. We receive the profiles from Mäkelä Alu in six-metre lengths, already powder-coated and partially machined. However, we carry out most of the machining ourselves, such as fitting hardware and cutting, says Juuso Ahtonen.

Over the years, the company has accumulated dozens of profile tools, and every year there is a need to design new profiles.

– We draft the initial designs, but the final aluminium profiles are developed in close collaboration with Mäkelä Alu’s design department. This process has always worked very well, says Juuso Ahtonen.

Karelia Ikkuna does not stock finished windows, but it makes sense to keep certain profiles readily available.

– White, brown, and black are the most commonly used colours, so we always have a stock quota of certain profiles in these colours. Of course, customers can get window frames in any colour they need, says Otto Ahtonen.

– Recently, two-tone painting has also become more popular, meaning that customers want different colours for the inner and outer surfaces of the frame, he adds.

AluBasket® as part of production

Karelia Ikkuna uses the AluBasket® service, a weather-resistant and environmentally friendly aluminium basket solution for transporting, handling, and storing long aluminium profiles. The baskets are stackable and easy to handle with a forklift. Thanks to these baskets, handling profiles is faster, and since they can be reused repeatedly, packaging waste remains minimal.

– AluBasket® is an extremely good solution. The baskets protect the profiles very well during transport, preventing any dents or damage, says Otto Ahtonen.

At Karelia Ikkuna, the use of AluBasket® has been fully integrated into the production process.

– We store aluminium profiles in AluBasket® baskets in our warehouse. The forklift picks up the baskets from the storage and takes them directly to the machining equipment, which automatically retrieves the profiles from the basket, explains Otto Ahtonen.

Reliable deliveries, top quality, and durability

Karelia Ikkuna’s products require aluminium profiles that are weather-resistant and have a high-quality surface treatment.

– We have been extremely satisfied with this. Windows have been in use for decades, and the aluminium profiles have proven to be highly durable over time, says Otto Ahtonen.

– An aluminium-framed window or balcony door is practically maintenance-free. Just wiping it with a cloth is enough to keep it looking like new, says Juuso Ahtonen.

– Mäkelä’s reliability in deliveries and product quality has been excellent, he praises.

Confident about the future

Although the construction industry has faced challenges in recent years, Karelia Ikkuna has performed well in the renovation sector. The company has consistently invested in the development of its production.

– Our situation currently looks quite good. Our intention is to continue developing our products and operations, says Otto Ahtonen.

– We make smaller investments every year, and a few years ago, we made a larger investment in the Hartola factory. Similarly, we have recently invested in automation in production at the Hammaslahti factory, says Juuso Ahtonen.

For its successful business operations, Karelia Ikkuna Oy was awarded the national entrepreneur prize in Finland in 2024.

Artikkeli High-quality and durable aluminium profiles as part of a window factory’s production julkaistiin ensimmäisen kerran Mäkelä Alu Oy.

Riikku consists of three subsidiaries: Sakkes in Sweden, Glassy in Norway, and Riikku Koti Oy, which is responsible for consumer sales in Finland. The last two companies joined the group a year ago. 

Mäkelä Alu played a key role in Riikku’s growth        

Cooperation between Riikku and Mäkelä Alu began six years ago, and Mäkelä Alu soon became the main supplier of Riikku’s aluminium profiles. According to Joni Mäkiranta, one of the owners of Riikku, the partnership marked something of a turning point for the company. Since the start of the cooperation, order and material flows have been closely monitored, and common operating methods have been developed in collaboration with Mäkelä Alu. Security of supply and transparency have constantly been improved, and at the same time, Riikku has experienced rapid growth. According to Mäkiranta, Mäkelä Alu’s warehousing services and flexible daily product deliveries have played a key role in this.   

“Our production has nearly doubled during our cooperation. Increasing our production to this extent would not have been possible without Mäkelä Alu,” says Mäkiranta.  

According to Mäkiranta, a steady, predetermined order flow is key when purchasing aluminium profiles. It has allowed the company to reduce its stocks and speed up its processes.  

“If we had to store aluminium profiles for many weeks, we would not be able to keep up with our current production volumes. We would be drowning in unfinished work.”  

No more organising orders by urgency       

Every profile order placed by Riikku is unique in terms of dimensions, colour, and type. The right kind of aluminium profiles must be available at the right time in order for the company’s production to run as planned.   

Mäkelä Alu delivers raw materials to Riikku on a daily basis. The companies have agreed on a certain framework with regard to delivery quantities, and the details of daily orders can be confirmed at short notice within that framework.  

“As a result, the number of open orders is small and there is no need to constantly rearrange orders according to the degree of urgency. Each order is completed in its turn,” says Mäkiranta.   

Fast deliveries to end customers     

At the same time, the waiting time for orders has been shortened, which has also enabled faster deliveries.

“This is a huge advantage for the end customer. We are able to serve our customers quickly when we receive the materials we need for their orders within days instead of months,” says Mäkiranta.   

“We can count on Mäkelä Alu’s delivery reliability”    

Now that Riikku can rely on Mäkelä Alu’s quick deliveries, the company only has to hold a few days’ stock of aluminium profiles in its own warehouse. The rest of the stock is stored at Mäkelä Alu through the AluStorage® warehousing service. Mäkelä Alu’s warehouse houses about a hundred aluminium profiles of different sizes that have been manufactured in accordance with Riikku’s specifications.

The profiles are only surface treated at Mäkelä Alu once an order is placed by Riikku.  

“Outsourcing our warehousing activities to Mäkelä Alu means that we have less unfinished work in our production hall and less things lying around in the yard. This arrangement would not work if we could not rely on the quality of the products and security of supply. However, this arrangement works well with Mäkelä Alu. We always get what we order,” says Mäkiranta.

This has also allowed Riikku to minimise waste.   

“When we talk about waste, we don’t just mean aluminium left over from machining. Waste can also refer to work carried out at the wrong time or products that are just lying around waiting to be delivered.”   

Continuous development based on customer needs      

Although the profile orders are handled electronically, Mäkelä Alu and Riikku interact very closely. Both companies are constantly striving to develop their operations and improve their productivity. When bottlenecks are identified, appropriate solutions are immediately sought.   

“Our goal is to further shorten our delivery times,” says Mäkiranta.   

Mäkiranta praises Mäkelä Alu’s development-oriented attitude.   

“The fact that Mäkelä Alu is easy to work with is also important to us. We feel they are happy to serve us and see us as a valuable partner, despite our occasional rivalry on the baseball field.”   

A steady order flow benefits both parties      

Sales Specialist Janne Kohonen from Mäkelä Alu is also happy with the cooperation.   

“Riikku has truly grasped the idea of ​​our service and understood the benefits of our strategy for the customer,” says Kohonen.   

He emphasises the importance of continuous monitoring and communication in this type of operating model. According to Kohonen, Riikku is easy to work with as a partner, which is important because, in the end, partnership is all about cooperation.   

Customers can outsource their warehousing activities to Mäkelä Alu    

This operating model is also beneficial to Mäkelä Alu as steady daily deliveries spread out the work. When a certain capacity can be reserved in advance for the customer’s orders, the customer has the opportunity to change the content of the order right up until the last moment.   

According to Kohonen, the main advantage of Mäkelä Alu’s warehousing service is that the customer does not have to tie up any capital in a warehouse.   

“Our customers in the window and terrace industry are already familiar with this concept, but some customers from other industries may still be surprised by the fact that warehousing can be outsourced to us and that they do not have to order the raw materials to their own warehouse,” says Kohonen.  

Circulating baskets facilitate transport and storage    

Riikku also uses Mäkelä Alu’s AluBasket® service. This means that the customer’s aluminium profiles are delivered in protective aluminium baskets that travel back and forth between the customer’s facilities and Mäkelä Alu. The baskets can be easily moved and stacked with a forklift.

The baskets protect the aluminium profiles from dents and also serve as convenient, short-term intermediate storage for the profiles.   

Riikku in a nutshell:

• Implements projects from planning to installation  
• Specialises in custom-made balcony glazing and railings   
• Main customers: construction companies (new buildings and renovation projects) 
• Head office and factory in Alavus, regional offices in Jyväskylä, Tampere, Oulu, Helsinki, and Raisio
• Subsidiaries in Sweden and Norway
• Consumer sales under the name Riikku Koti Oy  
• Turnover of 34 million euros, employs more than 200 balcony industry professionals     

Artikkeli Partnership with Mäkelä Alu enabled Riikku’s rapid growth         julkaistiin ensimmäisen kerran Mäkelä Alu Oy.

The Vimpeli-based company Tikli Group Oy is the only manufacturer of mass-produced aluminium ladders in Finland. The reason for this dominant market position can be found approximately five kilometres away, in Alajärvi. At Mäkelä Alu.

The production of aluminium ladders was made possible by Mäkelä Alu’s aluminium production, which began in the early 1990s.

“Previously, we would have had to import aluminium profiles from abroad and the production of ladders would not have been profitable,” says Tikli Group’s Sales Manager Timo Mastokangas.

Tikli’s extension ladders, A-ladders and step stools are now classic products that are highly rated by both corporate and private customers.

Full marks for surface treatment

Tikli Group is one of Mäkelä Alu’s longest-standing customers. The companies have collaborated closely right from the start.

“It has been a long-term and solid relationship,” says Timo Mastokangas.

In addition to untreated profiles, Tikli Group also buys surface-treated profiles from Mäkelä Alu through the AluCoating® surface treatment service. The service also enables the application of special coatings required on certain ladders.

According to Mastokangas, Mäkelä Alu is a partner that guarantees high-quality raw materials and a smooth process.

“It’s a great advantage that we can get high-quality profiles delivered quickly from nearby. The strength of profiles is very important in our products,” says Mastokangas.

“Special arrangements can also be made.”

Less packaging waste, less hassle

The delivery of raw materials is smooth and efficient. Tikli Group orders a certain tonnage per week from Mäkelä Alu. Cut-to-size profiles are delivered to Tikli Group’s production line twice a week according to the company’s raw material needs.

According to Mastokangas, efficiency is enhanced by the fact that the profiles delivered to the automated lines do not have to be wrapped in plastic. This saves a lot of effort and reduces packaging waste.

The AluBasket® service facilitates temporary storage

In addition to its own products, Tikli Group also processes aluminium. The company specialises in CNC machining. Mäkelä Alu is an important subcontracting partner. Tikli Group is also part of Mäkelä Alu’s La Alucenter partner network. The network allows the company to offer a wide range of service packages to its customers.

In the deliveries of raw material for further processing, Tikli Group utilises Mäkelä Alu’s environmentally friendly AluBasket® service, where the profiles are delivered in convenient aluminium baskets.

According to Mastokangas, the AluBasket® service facilitates the temporary storage of profiles.

“The profiles can be conveniently stored in the baskets. Also, no extra packaging material is required, since the aluminium basket alone is sufficient.”

Artikkeli A long-term partner appreciates good quality and logistics julkaistiin ensimmäisen kerran Mäkelä Alu Oy.