Establishing a company in the middle of the deepest recession meant that customers and deals had to be searched for actively and persistently. Relationships and networks that had emerged through Pykäläinen’s father’s company served as great help in this. District heating and natural gas pipelines were built enthusiastically in Finland in the 1990s. KVL-Tekniikka recognised the potential for growth and obtained special permits that enabled it to construct these. Public tendering opened the door for KVL-Tekniikka to many significant projects, including as a partner for defence administration. In the first few years KVL-Tekniikka carried out a diversity of HVAC tasks and construction of public utility services as well as district heating and natural gas pipelines.
From Pirkanmaa to a company with nationwide operations
Over the next few years KVL-Tekniikka grew both organically and through acquisitions, and its business operation expanded beyond Pirkanmaa to cover all of Finland. In 2008 the Group was joined by Metarno Oy which specialised in rock excavation and blasting tasks, and the year 2010 saw the establishment of Asfaltti Kymppi Oy, which handles paving work required by KVL-Tekniikka as well as a wide range of orders from other customers in and around Pirkanmaa.
Gaining a foothold in southern Finland was not easy since competition was fierce. One significant milestone was a cooperation with Helsinki Energy, currently known as Helen. Implementing this cooperation required finding the experts for the work, so KVL-Tekniikka acquired LVI-Asennus Oy that operated in the Helsinki region. This provided an excellent opportunity for the marketplace in the Helsinki metropolitan area. The same year the Group was joined by Jopaline Oy which specialises in railway construction. Today KVL-Tekniikka’s area of operation comprises all of Finland.
In 2015 KVL-Tekniikka sold the HVAC business and focused entirely on energy and infrastructure construction.
The agile 30-year-old takes good care of its employees
KVL-Tekniikka has been a family business since the start. Jukka Pykäläinen’s wife Ilona, sister Jaana and brother Jouni remain involved in the operation of the company. Today KVL-Tekniikka, which has its head office in Tampere, and its subsidiaries employ almost 200 professionals all over Finland. A colourful group of employees from different nationalities and backgrounds bring an international atmosphere to the company’s daily work.
KVL-Tekniikka’s organisation has remained concise and its goals remain clear despite its growth. The company always takes good care of the customer. It always fulfils its promises. KVL-Tekniikka firmly believes in a mutual commitment. This means that there is work for good employees and the company takes good care of professional and committed employees.
What about the pigs?
In the early days of KVL-Tekniikka the family had pet pigs running around the courtyard. The activities of these smart and decision-focused animals, which dig the soil with their snout, shared something similar with infrastructure and energy construction. Soon the pigs became a symbol for KVL-Tekniikka. They began to adorn both job site vehicles and Jukka Pykäläinen’s rallycross cars. The sympathetic pigs draw positive attention and stay in the minds of customers and passers-by.
Over the years the pig cars have travelled ever further to southern and northern Finland. You can always find them in places where expertise on all-in contracts is needed.