Skip to main content

Metso’s 150th anniversary

Crushing equipment specialist Metso is now celebrating its 150th anniversary. The firm started in business in 1868 as a local ironworks and the firm has evolved through a series of mergers, acquisitions and divestments. It now has operations in more than 50 countries and a workforce of over 12,000. Metso is a global industrial company providing the world's mining, aggregates, recycling, and process industries with innovative solutions for the sustainable processing and flow of natural resources. During its
September 17, 2018 Read time: 2 mins
Crushing equipment specialist 6934 Metso is now celebrating its 150th anniversary. The firm started in business in 1868 as a local ironworks and the firm has evolved through a series of mergers, acquisitions and divestments. It now has operations in more than 50 countries and a workforce of over 12,000. Metso is a global industrial company providing the world's mining, aggregates, recycling, and process industries with innovative solutions for the sustainable processing and flow of natural resources.


During its 150 years, Metso has been in many businesses, ranging from steam engines, locomotives, car manufacturing, forest machines, and pulp and paper machines, to valves, metal and waste recycling equipment, and solutions for rock and mineral crushing and screening.  One of its core areas of expertise today is aggregates and minerals processing: key ingredients for the construction and manufacture of infrastructure.

The first innovations that kicked off mechanical crushing and screening processes in the mines and quarries were introduced in the 1800s. Bruno Nordberg, a Finnish migrant who settled in Michigan in the US, produced some of the first crushing equipment for mines. In 1928, Nordberg acquired the Symons cone crusher technology, an innovation that revolutionised crushing practices in mines and quarries. Bergeaud & Bruno was established in France in 1895 to manufacture crushing equipment, and in Tampere, Finland, Lokomo produced its first jaw crushers at the beginning of the 1920s. These industry pioneers are all key components of our DNA.

The amalgamation of Svedala Industri into Metso in 2001, and the introduction of solutions like primary gyratory crushers, grinding mills and vertical shaft impactors was elemental in the creation of its crushing and screening business.

As part of the celebration the firm is organising an exhibition of photographs showing its history.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Russian quarry increases efficiency with Sandvik equipment
    August 20, 2015
    A quarry facility in Russia has increased working efficiency by using Sandvik machinery. Located in in the Kurgan Region (Urals) of Russia, the Sinarsky Quarry is benefiting from an increase in throughput and reduced downtime since its new Sandvik crushing and screening plant became fully operational. The company invested over €2 million on the new plant, and is aiming to use it in order to double its aggregates production. This increase in production is required in order to meet the doubling of demand for
  • Learning process
    February 6, 2012
    Sandvik has carried out a two day Quarry Academy for key senior industry personnel in Qatar. The event was used to discuss blasting and crushing solutions to meet demand for the large volume projects forecast for the region. The event was jointly sponsored by local distributors Q-FAB and Boodai and was attended by around 40 key senior management figures from Qatari contractors, quarry operators and drill and blast companies. The event was run as a continuous lecture-style presentation on the quarry process.
  • Metso distribution days event
    August 30, 2017
    Metso is to host its first global distributor event for the aggregates industry in Tampere, Finland, September 5th-7th 2017. This event focuses on training and showcasing Metso's latest innovations for the aggregates industry and gives a preview of the next generation's development direction. Distributor Days for the Aggregates distributors brings together over 200 attendees from all over the world for an intensive two-and-a-half-day seminar.
  • Crushing efficiency for the aggregates sector
    December 11, 2020
    The aggregates sector is benefiting from the introduction of new high production technology