History

Katsa-historia

Where did it all begin?

In 1955, two friends, Jouko Kattelus and Väinö Salli started a business and, by combining parts of their surnames, named the company Katsa.

Initially, Katsa was a subcontractor of various types of machining, starting from nuts and bolts. The company gradually grew, and by the end of the 1950s, Kattelus sold his share of the company to Salli.

The first independently-owned industrial site was built in 1967 in the Lakalaiva area of Tampere.
At that time, Katsa began manufacturing special products which were tailored to meet the customers’ specifications. From the beginning, Katsa has invested in quality and expertise.

In 1973, the operations expanded, with a new plant in Ikaalinen, and the company took the first steps toward internationalisation. Products were first exported to Sweden and Brazil, where Katsa’s Finnish customers had subsidiaries. Later on, the efforts in Germany resulted in sustainable customer relationships there.

By the early 1980s, Katsa was developed from a manufacturer of gearwheels to a gear unit supplier as well, thanks to the in-house design and engineering. The same decade was a period of major investments. In 1983, Katsa launched a third plant in Härmälä, Tampere.

The new expansions enabled Katsa to enter into partnership when the Vaasa engine factory decided to outsource its gearwheel production. Test deliveries in 1983 resulted in full-scale outsourcing in 1984, and since then, the production of large diesel engine gearwheels has been the core business for Katsa.

As a result of further developing its gearwheel expertise and investments, Katsa won the contract when the Kiel engine factory in Germany decided to outsource its gearwheel production in 2001. The contract was largely attributed to the previous years’ successful co-operation in the product development of integrated turning devices for diesel engines and the related deliveries.

The years 2006–2009 became a period of significant growth for Katsa. Customer requirements in various industries expanded, leading to a demand for investments. Katsa developed its own operations by great leaps, invested in production capacity and advanced in-house expertise in gear engineering.

Wind turbine gear systems represented a new branch of industry that called for but also taught new competencies in gearwheel production. While the precision requirements for the gearwheels used in wind turbine gearboxes were similar to those used in turbo gear units, which had already been in production for a long time, the real challenge was the serial production of these highly demanding large-scale components.

Katsa today

Today, Katsa Oy is part of Twin Disc Inc. and belongs to leading global marine and industrial power transmission equipment supplier group. The Salli family decided that it was time for Katsa to start to grow faster and within Twin Disc group that will be possible. The Closing of the Deal was on May 31st, 2024.

Katsa Oy is an established supplier of top-quality gearwheels and special gearboxes. The company’s products are used worldwide for example in marine engines, power plants, paper machines and many other demanding applications.

In 2015, Katsa celebrated its 60th anniversary. Throughout the decades, Katsa has based its operations on the principles of customer orientation, quality and trust. In terms of sustainable co-operation, many of our customers have trusted in Katsa’s reliable deliveries for decades.

In recent years, Katsa has further improved its quality management in line with the Lean Six Sigma principles, expanded its manufacturing capabilities to include, among others, offshore gear shafts, invested in domestic gearbox refurbishment and maintenance services, and systematically developed its special gearbox expertise toward larger sizes. Katsa has expanded and intensified exporting to Norway, Great Britain and Northern Ireland as well as to Asia.”

Today, Katsa Oy is still owned by the Salli family. Katsa Oy is an established supplier of top quality gearwheels and special gearboxes. The company’s products are used worldwide for example in marine engines, power plants, paper machines and many other demanding applications.

In 2015, Katsa celebrated its 60th anniversary. Throughout the decades, Katsa has based its operations on the principles of customer orientation, quality and trust. In terms of sustainable co-operation, many of our customers have trusted in Katsa’s reliable deliveries for decades.

In recent years, Katsa has further improved its quality management in line with the Lean Six Sigma principles, expanded its manufacturing capabilities to include, among others, offshore gear shafts, invested in domestic gearbox refurbishment and maintenance services, and systematically developed its special gearbox expertise toward larger sizes. Katsa has expanded and intensified exporting to Norway, Great Britain and Northern Ireland as well as to Asia.