Muovilami Oy is an almost 60-year-old family-owned company. They manufacture high-strength plastic doors for demanding applications such as hospitals, schools, swimming pools, and shops. The company also manufactured boats until 1994. Today it is internationally renowned for its special doors, designed from the outset according to the customer’s wishes. Juha-Matti Aho, the company’s vice-president, says that all of their doors are made to measure: “We’ll make half a door for our client, if they so wish.” Muovilami pays particular attention to durability, water resistance, and chemical resistance.
In Finland, Muovilami employs around 40 people and also has offices in Sweden and the UK. The share of exports is around 50-55%. In its operations, Muovilami values above all adherence to schedules, flexibility, and long-term partnerships. For these reasons, V.A.V. Group has been an important partner for almost 20 years.
The beginning of a long-lasting partnership
Muovilami’s partnership with V.A.V. Group started in late summer 2007, when our sales manager, Mia Ahlgren, walked through their door and introduced our business to the people at Muovilami. „Mia was very professional from the start, and clearly knew a lot about profiles,“ says Juha-Matti.
V.A.V. Group made a good impression as a flexible supplier, which was important for Muovilami’s customised products. Impressed by Mia’s know-how, Muovilami decided to switch from their previous supplier to V.A.V. Group. According to Juha-Matti, they have not regretted their choice.
Silicone seals as part of the door quality
V.A.V. Group supplies Muovilami with silicone-based door seals. The importance of these seals is considerable as they affect the functionality, cleanability, and hygiene of the doors, especially when the doors are installed in areas where hygiene requirements are high. The entire door must be easy to clean, which means that the seal must also be able to be wiped clean to prevent bacterial colonies from forming.
V.A.V. has also been involved in the development of new products, and our expertise has been particularly highlighted when tailor-made solutions are required.
A reliable partner for busy production
Muovilami’s products are made-to-order, so the security of supply is crucial. One factor that has made V.A.V. Group a reliable partner is delivery times. „They keep to their schedules,“ says Juha-Matti, „No delays, which is important to us because our production can be quite hectic.“ According to Muovilami, the cooperation with V.A.V. Group has been smooth and pleasant overall. Of course, in a business relationship as long as this one, there have been occasional challenges here or there, but all problems have been handled professionally, Juha-Matti says.
Mia Ahlgren, who is still Muovilami’s contact here at V.A.V. Group, gets a lot of praise for her approachability and knowledge from Juha-Matti, and she is just as happy with how the relationship between the businesses has grown: „Juha-Matti is consistent and fair, it has been a pleasure and an honour to see Muovilami’s growth and development.“
Future plans
When asked about the future of our cooperation, almost 20 years of cooperation speak for themselves, according to Juha-Matti: “It will continue, there is no reason to change”. The cooperation between Muovilami and the V.A.V. Group will continue on a solid basis. New door designs and customer needs are constantly emerging, and V.A.V.’s support in developing these solutions is always welcome at Muovilami.
Juha-Matti shared his thoughts on the long-standing partnership with V.A.V. Group — words that were warmly received here in Ii:
„We South Ostrobothnians are not the best at praising, but yes, V.A.V. Group has succeeded well in meeting our needs.“
