The Japan Times WORLD EYE REPORTS FINLAND
©THE JAPAN TIMES	Sunday, March 10, 2002

Swiss leader looks to 'Japan in Europe'

Cementing its position as the leading supplier of pumps for the pulp and paper industry, Sulzer has just completed the acquisition and integration of Ahlstrom Pumps of Finland into the global Swiss-based Sulzer Pumps group. The combination of Ahlstrom Pumps' knowledge of state-of-the-art production technologies and Sulzer Pumps' global presence and after-sales customer support is just one of many synergies that led to the consolidation. True to its policy of constant improvement, Sulzer has seen its pump division grow to become the seventh largest pump company in the world. "We decided to focus our efforts into our core areas and seek to be the market leader in each of these sectors," explained Juhani Hanninen, president of Sulzer Pumps Finland.

Sulzer Pumps President and CEO Juhani Hanninen heads a merger of Swiss and Finnish business culture that is now looking to new international expansion.

The targeted industries include: pulp and paper, hydrocarbon processing, natural gas processing, power management, wastewater effluent systems, and processing of basic foodstuffs such as sugar and starch. The recent acquisition of Ahlstrom Pumps has been another step in this direction.

"Of course people ask how well the two cultures are getting along," Hanninen commented regarding the recent merger, "but I think that the Sulzer's Swiss culture and Ahlstrom's Finnish heritage complement each other very well." Though both companies have been active in the market for years, they had remarkably little overlap, and the merger greatly increased competitiveness with minimal restructuring pains.

"It is important to remember that we do not just provide pumps, but also pumping solutions," he stressed. "This means that we need a substantial base of knowledge, not merely good engineering, if we are to succeed."

"Finland is a European Japan," Hanninen said. "We are both long-term partners and are very forward-looking in our business plans."

Customers from nations around the world determine the scope and breadth of this expanding company. The company serves clients from the U.S., Russia, China, Indonesia, Vietnam and Brunei. Looking to the future, Hanninen predicted, "We will have a much stronger and deeper relationship with Japan, and we will continue to enhance our cooperation, while expanding more outside of the pulp and paper industry. As we broaden our product portfolio in the Asian market, we foresee new opportunities and developments opening to us that will benefit both us and our clients."

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