Skip to main content

Normet to invest over €7 million

Underground construction in the world is increasing, metal ores are mined deeper, and there is an ever-growing demand in emerging countries for metals, infrastructure and energy.
March 7, 2012 Read time: 2 mins
A Normet Charmec underground explosive charge places explosives
Underground construction in the world is increasing, metal ores are mined deeper, and there is an ever-growing demand in emerging countries for metals, infrastructure and energy.

All these trends support the continuation of global needs of specialised equipment for underground tunnel building, says 3708 Normet, a Finnish manufacturer of mining and tunnelling equipment, which is strengthening its local organisations (sales, marketing and customer service) around the world and by making substantial investments in R&D and production facilities.

Last year Normet underwent considerable restructuring resulting in a new distribution network with headquarters, Normet International, in Switzerland, and regional offices in Switzerland, Australia and the United States. Previously, the organisation sold 60% of its products through distributors and third parties, and now at least 80-90% of sales are conducted through its own subsidiaries.

"This year, the main emphasis of Normet's front line operations is on substantial improvement of customer service and support. The subsequent step is to focus on R&D, which will further strengthen our offering and position as a leading supplier of underground concrete spraying and charging solutions," says Aaro Cantell, chairman of Normet Group's board.

In three years, Normet has tripled its turnover and doubled the number of personnel. During the past year, the company has established 14 offices globally and now operates from 17 different locations worldwide with new locations in India, Singapore and Brazil planned in the near future.

"Over €7 million will be invested in manufacturing and in a technology centre. This will enable full-scale prototype manufacturing and testing, and increase our production capacity by 66%," says Jari Osmala, CEO of Normet Group.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Caterpillar stages grand opening of new parts distribution centre in Dubai
    March 6, 2013
    Caterpillar employees, executives, dealers and customers, along with local dignitaries, today celebrated the grand opening of the company’s new parts distribution centre in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE). The 46,451m² Middle East Distribution Centre (MEDC) employs 130 people and will further strengthen aftermarket parts support in the East-Africa and Middle East region. The facility will also serve as a regional office for employees from other Caterpillar service groups. The MEDC follows the opening of o
  • Demand diversity in the construction equipment sector
    June 1, 2015
    Demand within the global construction equipment manufacturing industry is anything but homogenous, with certain countries and sales regions significantly outperforming others, with a whole host of factors fuelling and suppressing each key market - Guy Woodford reports
  • IPC Global's EN Standards Tester
    January 3, 2013
    IPC Global has launched the EN Standards Tester, a servo-hydraulic testing machine which allows users to carry out all the most popular EN12687 tests for asphalt mixtures on one machine. The EN Standards Tester offers a cost-effective alternative to Universal Testing Machines (UTMs), said IPC Global’s chief executive officer Kieran McGrane. “This machine has been targeted at a specific number of tests, therefore it is more compact and more economical,” he explained. “UTMs are used mostly by research organis
  • Beijing's BICES reflects China's economic growth
    February 27, 2012
    The busy BICES show reflects China’s booming infrastructure investment and growing economy – Mike Woof reports. The recent BICES trade show in capital Beijing was extremely busy, with high visitor attendance levels and crowded aisles. The interest in the event strongly reflects the country’s massive infrastructure growth, which continues to develop. The construction equipment business has been identified as a key economic priority by the Chinese Government, with manufacturers being offered numerous incentiv