You might expect that the Finnish national committee of FEM (Fédération Européenne de la Manutention) would be chaired by a senior executive of Finland’s very own global giant, KCI Konecranes. But no – that privilege belongs to Juha Erikkilä, who heads a small but innovative family business with just 18 employees in Finalnd and a further 24 in Estonia.
The firm began as a trading company by his grandfather in 1912. It started to focus on importing lifting equipment in 1976 and soon began to produce its own light crane systems. Since that time the company has secured important patents for its ergonomic handling devices, including the Robsystem (1989) and the Ergolator (1995).
Erikkila said he came up with a recent safety improvement to his light crane system in a dream. “You cannot invent by inventing,” he said. “You invent by experience.”
