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

  • Metso Nordberg NP20 crushers hard at it for Demix Agrégats, Canada
    August 14, 2017
    A new Metso Nordberg NP20 crusher is delivering increased capacity and reduced maintenance needs for an aggregate producer in Canada. The new Metso Nordberg NP20TM series impact crushers were developed in tight collaboration with Hewitt Equipment and Demix Agrégats ensure increased capacity and ease of maintenance according to the firm. Earlier this year, Metso delivered two new NP20TM impact crushers to Demix Agrégats' plant in Laval, Canada. Metso and Hewitt Equipment, the distributor for Metso crushing
  • Metso Outotec aggregates industry innovation focus
    February 7, 2023
    Metso Outotec will showcase its latest innovations, technologies and offering for the aggregates industry at CONEXPO-CON/AGG in Las Vegas, USA, on March 14-18, 2023.
  • Crushing and screening for producing and re-using
    July 23, 2012
    The recycling and minerals extraction markets now share technologies, Mike Woof reports Not surprisingly, the Steinexpo quarrying event in Germany was a key launch venue for new crushing and screening technologies, as well as associated quarrying technology. Crushing and screening equipment firms from a wide range of European countries including Austria, the Czech Republic, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK were present at the exhibition. However it was noticeable how closely the miner
  • Metso bolsters China presence through manganese steel foundry acquisition
    February 7, 2013
    Metso has increased its presence in China by acquiring a manganese steel foundry (JX) in Quzhou City, around 400km Southwest of Shanghai. "The acquisitions of JX and Shaorui Heavy Industries, and the joint venture with LiuGong Group Corporation announced last November, significantly strengthen our supply capabilities for mining and construction industries in China,” said Andrew Benko, president, mining and construction, Metso. “Metso now has a complete range of capital equipment and wear parts covering a wi