Decades-lasting products and partnership

Ähtäri-based Muovilami Oy is a family-owned company founded in 1966 that manufactures hygienic reinforced plastic doors. The doors manufactured by the company are widely known as LAMI Doors. Each door is always tailored to the customer’s needs and application.

“We manufacture doors for various industries operating in demanding environments. The door must be wear-resistant, impact-resistant, fire-resistant, hygienic, moisture and water-resistant, and resistant to chemicals and corrosion,” says Juha-Matti Aho, the company’s Vice President.

Muovilami’s product guarantees are not just empty words. This is proven by the fact that the first LAMI door, manufactured in 1966, is still in use. The products last for decades. Under normal use, LAMI door panels and frames are guaranteed for 25 years against water and moisture.

“It is very important in demanding environments that the product lasts,” adds Jaana Aho, Managing Director.

The door frames are manufactured at Mäkelä Alu’s Luoma-aho factory. There are dozens of different extrusion tools available at Muovilami.

“The profiles delivered to us are anodized and sometimes powder coated. We surface treat very small batches of less than eight pieces here in Ähtäri, in a smaller paint shop next door to our factory,” says Juha-Matti Aho.

A long partnership

Muovilami Oy is one of Mäkelä Alu’s longest standing customers. When Mäkelä Alu was about to order its first extrusion line from Germany in the late 1980s, it was breaking new ground. It was a big investment: the new machines cost around FIM 35 million. Of course, Mäkelä Alu had to find customers for its new production.

“Before the extrusion plant was even up and running, Mäkelä Alu contacted us and asked if we would buy their products if the company started manufacturing aluminium profiles. And of course we promised to buy, especially since the factory was planned so close,” says Jaana Aho.

The first aluminium profiles were extruded at Mäkelä Alu on 16 December 1990.

“Indeed, our cooperation started with the design of profiles in 1990, and the first extrusion tools were ordered in spring 1991. The cooperation has been quite smooth on both sides,” says Asko Perälampi from Mäkelä Alu.

 

High quality, timely deliveries and excellent service

One of Muovilami’s requirements for aluminium profiles is uniformity.

“Of course, the surface treatments must also be of high quality. The delivery times must be very accurate. We are very satisfied with Mäkelä Alu’s service in these areas,” Juha-Matti Aho says.

Muovilami uses Mäkelä Alu’s AluStorage® warehousing service, which helps them with fast deliveries.

“Certain profiles are always in stock at Mäkelä Alu. When we order these profiles, stock levels are replenished to the agreed level,” says Plant Manager Jussi Pöyhölä.

Untreated, anodized and powder-coated profiles are available from stock as required. The machining is done by Muovilami itself.

“Our batches are small, and each door can be a little different. This is why it makes more sense to carry out the machining in-house,” explains Jussi Pöyhölä.

The company also relies on Mäkelä Alu’s expertise in designing aluminium profiles and ensuring that they are just right.

“We need new tools from time to time. Mäkelä Alu helps us in our development projects or in the design of new products. We first sketch the profile shape ourselves, and then Mäkelä Alu’s designers draw it the way it should be,” Pöyhölä laughs.

“We work very closely with Mäkelä Alu. We have known the office staff for a long time. Doing business is easy and comfortable,” adds Juha-Matti Aho.

 

Doors around the world

LAMI doors are used in the pharmaceutical industry, hospitals and nursing homes, food industry, supermarkets, industrial kitchens, spas and swimming pools, and various production facilities. All premises where hygiene, sanitation and durability are important. The main reason to choose LAMI doors is the long life cycle of the products.

“Around half of our production is exported. We have subsidiaries in the UK and Sweden, but all our products are manufactured in Ähtäri, Finland. The Nordic countries are an important region for us, as are England, Ireland, the Baltic States and Poland. There are also important export countries in Central Europe. As a rule, our products are sent to ten to twelve countries,” says Jaana Aho.

“But we have also delivered doors to more distant locations, such as a hospital laboratory in Australia and Myanmar. We delivered several hundred doors to a clinic in Nigeria; two sea containers in total,” Jussi Pöyhölä adds.

Recently, Muovilami was involved in a major project, the refurbishment of Battersea Dogs and Cats Home in England.

“The site required water and moisture-resistant doors that are easy to clean. The project included the delivery of 106 doors for dog rehoming facilities and 16 doors for cat rehoming facilities, as well as doors for the utility rooms, staff rooms and lobby areas,” says Jussi Pöyhölä.

“We are not consciously looking for customers from the ends of the earth. Usually it’s because someone has seen our products, for example on a hospital visit in England, and finds us through that. We focus on our main export countries in Europe, where we are actively involved in sales and marketing,” says Jaana Aho.

In the main photo of the article there is plant manager Jussi Pöyhölä (left) with packer Eino Tuhkio.