History

The 2010s was a period of intensive development for Koneosapalvelu. Outokummun Metalli Oy purchased Koneosapalvelu in 2011. Outokummun Metalli is a North Karelian family business specialised in manufacture of harvester heads for forest machinery. The acquisition was aimed at enhancement of Koneosapalvelu sales in Finland and abroad, as well as development of production.

The Imatra office operations were merged with those of the Lappeenranta office in late 2014. At the same time, IKH dealership was discontinued at the stores in Kuopio and Lappeenranta.

Ville Nevalainen was appointed Managing Director of Koneosapalvelu in 2015.

Koneosapalvelu celebrated its 40 years of business together with the clients in Spring 2016. The year of celebration brought along important product launches. Totally renewed lines of Vahva grapples as well as new model of KOPA-tracks were launched in 2016.

In late 2016, Parker Hannifin granted Koneosapalvelu the status of an authorized repair center for Denison GOLD CUP® hydraulic pumps.

KOPA flotation tracks have quickly established their position on the forest machinery tracks market in Finland. In 2019, an extensive tour consisting of six forest work demonstrations was arranged together with machine entrepreneurs and soft soil harvesting experts.

Koneosapalvelu was granted the Parker Mobile Technology Centre status in 2019 as one of four operators in Scandinavia. The new concept launched by Parker Hannifin offers special expertise in the design and installation of Parker directional control valves and IQAN control systems for heavy vehicles.

Koneosapalvelu purchased the shares of Kithydro Oy and Hyprox Oy on 12 September 2019. In particular, the corporate acquisition increased the industrial hydraulics sales and service business, as well as the capacity of hydraulics maintenance. With the transaction, hydraulic power units were included under the Koneosapalvelu range.

At the beginning of the 2000s, the family business was recovering from the loss of Eino Aliranta, a founding member, but the life and business had to go on. In spring 2001, the Varkaus branch moved to facilities that are more spacious; in the autumn of the same year, the 25th anniversary was celebrated in Vilppula as an open house event.

In autumn 2002, new terrain-friendly tracks designed by Koneosapalvelu were launched. Product development received a lot of attention, since the range of Vahva grapples was completely renewed the same year. A new, expanded and renewed place of business was opened in Vantaa.

In 2003, the Kuopio branch was opened and the Varkaus branch was closed down. The product range at the Kuopio and Lappeenranta branches was supplemented with IKH products – tractor spare parts, tools, and accessories.

In 2008, Toivo Aliranta, Managing Director, retired after a successful career and Mika Aliranta, Toivo’s son, took over his position.

The company was rearranged into a limited liability company in 1993 and the name Koneosapalvelu Oy Aliranta was introduced. In order to match the intensive growth of operations, the production and maintenance facilities in Vilppula were expanded. In 1995, 200 m2 of floor space was purchased for the transmission and hydraulics repair shop, followed by in year 1997 purchase of approx. 2,500 m2 of hangar space for forestry machine maintenance and dismantling.

The entire 1990s were a time of strong internalisation. As machine-based timber harvesting developed, Koneosapalvelu’s market area expanded from the Scandinavian home market to Europe, the Baltic states, and Russia.

In September 1999, an era in the company’s history came to an end with the premature death of Eino Aliranta. Toivo Aliranta was appointed the Managing Director of the company.

As the spare parts business grew, machine contracting was discontinued and the company concentrated on the development, production, and sales of parts. The company’s name was changed to Koneosapalvelu Ky Aliranta in 1989.

The operations gradually expanded from Vilppula: new branches were founded in Varkaus (1980), Rovaniemi (1984), and Vantaa (1985). The Rovaniemi branch was closed down in 1988 and the stock was transferred to the new branch in Lappeenranta.

Eino and Toivo co-operated with the Trade Association of Finnish Forestry and Earth Moving Contractors (TAFFEC), which generated numerous contacts with contractors around the country. Koneosapalvelu also played an interesting role in the history of the FinnMetko exhibition. In connection with the company’s 10th anniversary in 1986, the first Finnish Championship in the use of forestry machines was organised at the grounds of Koneosapalvelu in Vilppula. Teachers from the Jämsänkoski Forest Machine School acted as judges and Koneosapalvelu was responsible for the arrangements. Since the holding of such an event was laborious for a small company, Toivo Aliranta proposed that the Forest Machine School organise the competition in the future. The School and TAFFEC accepted the responsibility for holding the next Finnish Championship in the use of forestry machines; additionally, an exhibition event for forestry machine professionals was arranged in connection with the competition, which today is known as the FinnMetko exhibition.

The brothers Eino and Toivo Aliranta commenced the development of Koneosapalvelu’s current business in 1976; at the time, the company was called Koneyhtymä veljekset Aliranta. The original business idea was to acquire and supply spare parts for forestry machines cheaper and faster as compared to larger manufacturers, as well as to manufacture spare parts of improved durability.

The brothers had personal experience with use and repair of forestry machines; keep in mind that in the 1970s, the technical development of the machines had just began. The brothers had worked at logging sites before the mechanization of the sector; they acquired their first forestry tractor in 1971 and a harvester as early as in 1974.

The company’s name was changed to Koneosapalvelu kommandiittiyhtiö Eino ja Toivo Aliranta in 1978.