In early 2007 Meteco entered into a cooperation agreement with Airbus, Europes leading aircraft manufacturer. The Airbus order relates to product development for new-generation passenger aircraft. The new planes incorporate a greater proportion of composite components than used in previous generations.
We manufacture moulds for composite components which go into the load-bearing structures in the wings, says Managing Director Juha Järvi.
Based in Karstula, Meteco is currently one of three Finnish companies which supply direct to Airbus. However, the company has been involved with the technology used to produce aviation components since the 1980s.
The casting moulds produced for Airbus are over 10 metres in length and are manufactured at Metecos plant in Kuhmoinen. Previously known as the Vinnilä engineering works, this plant was acquired by Meteco in 2004. It was acquired because it had good machinery resources and provided plenty of space, meaning that large-sized workpieces can be accommodated.
In 2002 Meteco launched a new operating strategy, which has enabled it to make major advances. A massive programme of investments included an expansion of the plant and acquisition of new production technology. At the same time the company grew to become a system supplier. One of our main customers is Metso Corporation. We realized that our customers were expecting their own suppliers to be capable of handling larger and larger scopes of delivery, Juha Järvi states.
The companys development programme has increased its turnover considerably. Turnover is currently around EUR 19 million with a workforce of 137, which is an increase of more than 30 per cent.
Meteco has particularly focussed on developing its engineering capabilities. Juha Järvi believes that it was Metecos 3D modelling competence that secured the Airbus deal. The decision makers at Airbus appreciated the way we were able to work on their ideas.
Meteco has invested considerably more in developing its employees and IT infrastructure than is usual in its sector. As Juha Järvi puts it, successful companies are not measured in terms of how fast they can keep their lathes turning, but how efficiently they are able to manage the entire manufacturing process.
The company has developed a business innovation with the specific aim of increasing flexibility. The eFactory software environment introduces a new type of control function to the engineering works. One of the features of the innovative system is that resources can be controlled from a single point.
ERP presents plenty of challenges in the engineering industry because there are so many variable factors but thats also the reason why its so important. We are applying the latest IT solutions, an open database environment and analysis system. In future a single air traffic control point will be able to control our whole production operation on a process basis.
Meteco attracts so many job applicants that not all can be taken on. Juha Järvi says that engineering companies have to be pro-active in order to secure their own workforce. We do a lot of work with schools and colleges from junior level onwards. We give grants to secondary school students which include a summer job. Every year we offer over twenty training places.
Vocational institutes are important partners for the company. Young people on apprenticeships or practical training represent ten per cent of the workforce. In a small place like Karstula, with just under 5 000 inhabitants, Meteco also plays a visible role in the cultural life of the community. The companys official band, Metallika, won FirmaRock 2005, a nationwide competition open to Finnish company and other workplace bands. Two years running the company has organized its own Meteco Rock event for young people and sponsored other cultural events in the municipality.
These activities take time and cost money, but we regard them as an investment in the future. Its important that people see the company as an attractive place to work.
Photo (above): Technology company Meteco Oy is committed to forming close working partnerships with its customers. Its special strengths are its engineering and enterprise resource planning (ERP) capabilities.
Pia Tervoja Photos by ST-Suunnittelu, Airbus