A Resilient 80-Year-Old Built on High Quality
FB Ketju’s 80-year history stands as a powerful backbone, representing broad expertise gained through experience, uncompromising quality, and a culture of continuous improvement. Today, FB Ketju is in excellent shape and looks to the future with confidence and optimism.
Over the past eight decades, much has changed, yet the core of FB Ketju’s operations has remained the same. At our Lappi factory, we design and manufacture conveyor chains and their components for production facilities across various industries worldwide.
Such a rich history does not create itself—it’s built by dedicated and skilled professionals. CEO Mika Suomi and CFO Johanna Alho emphasize that quality and reliability are at the heart of everything we do.
“The company is in a strong, resilient position. Our operations are efficient across the entire organization and at every stage of the process. We can quickly respond to increased order volumes, where timely and successful recruitment plays a key role,” says Suomi.
“Efficiency is also reflected in our cost structure. We’ve invested in occupational safety and sustainable development. Going forward, we’ll continue to improve internal processes—because even good can get better,” Suomi adds.
The company’s roots trace back to Rauma and the Lönnström companies, where Oy Ammus and Oy Sytytin manufactured military supplies. Production ceased in autumn 1944 following the armistice with the Soviet Union, forcing a shift to new manufacturing directions. The munitions factory was converted into a machine workshop and became part of war reparations production.
Production moved from Rauma to Köyliö in 1979, and 40 years later to Lappi, Rauma—into facilities nearly twice the previous in size.
“By optimizing the production layout, we’ve increased capacity. Now we operate in about 6,000 square meters, with expansion potential on the property. I believe we’ll need more space in the future,” Suomi explains.
People and Investments at the Core of Development
Since 2000, FB Ketju has been part of the Swedish listed company Addtech. Addtech is not a traditional private equity investor, but an industrial owner focused on improving the companies it acquires.
Recent equipment investments have played a key role in our growth. For example, our own laser cutter has brought flexibility and speed.
“In addition to equipment investments, the implementation of our ERP system in 2014 was a major milestone. It streamlines and enhances operations by providing up-to-date information from sales through to production,” says Suomi.
But high quality is not achieved by technology alone—our employees play the leading role. Continuous skill development and knowledge transfer, especially tacit knowledge, are essential.
“Thanks to long careers, we have deep expertise and know-how. While chains have remained essentially the same for decades, technology—and the way we work—continues to evolve. Our personnel are our most valuable asset,” Alho adds.
A Pioneer Among Conveyor Chain Manufacturers
FB Ketju manufactures various conveyor chains, sprockets, and chain components for industries such as energy, wood, paper, mining, cement, and recycling. FB Ketju have also collaborated for decades with leading steel mills in the Nordic countries.
“A large portion of our production is exported, but you’d be hard-pressed to find a sawmill, paper plant, or power station in Finland that hasn’t used FB Ketju products at some point. We’re not just a chain supplier—we create added value for our customers,” Suomi says.
In 1993, FB Ketju became the first conveyor chain manufacturer in the Nordics to be certified with the ISO 9001 quality system. We received our environmental certification in 2002, and today, sustainability is more central than ever to our operations.
“Our customers can trust that FB Ketju is always moving forward—and so are our chains,” Suomi concludes.
