UTU – Can And Will

Urho and Rauha Tuominen

Urho Tuominen was born in 1894. Urho started in the electrical industry as a helper at the age of 14. From 1907, Urho worked as a fitter’s assistant and then as an independent travel fitter in various parts of southern Finland, e.g. in the service of A. Ahlström Oy in Noormarku. Urho married Rauha Nylund from Pori and the family was founded in Noormarkku. The first daughter was born during the tsarist rule in the summer of 1916. Finland declared independence on the 6th of December 1917 and the following year the war of 1918 was fought. The second daughter was born in the spring of 1919.

Urho Tuominen the Entrepreneur

Entrepreneurship had crossed Urho´s mind before, and when Urho didn’t get the salary increase he asked for, his wife encouraged him to start his own company. On June 1, 1919, Porin Sähkö- ja Telefooniliike Urho Tuominen (Pori Electric and Telephone Company) started its operations. The operation started in a wooden house along Pori’s market square at Pohjoiskauppatori 1. One and a half months later, on July 17, 1919, Finland received its first constitution. At this stage, UTU and Finland were built side by side.

Business expands – Recession hits

At the beginning of the company, the focus was on the sale of electrical machines and accessories. In practice, it was necessary to expand to electrical installations products and repair work as well. The business expanded to city of Rauma in 1923. In the same year, with the start of radio operations, radios also entered the program, and a year later, cars. The recession that started in the United States began at the end of 1929 in Finland as well. Construction stopped, industrial production shrank sharply and foreign trade almost stopped.

The Bank of Finland gave up the gold standard in 1931. The depression was thought to be short-lived, but recovery did not begin until 1933. The turnover of the young company fell by 50% to the level of the early years. However, the difficulties were overcome thanks to the solid market position achieved from the beginning. In the midst of the difficulties, the union of Electrical Affair (now STK)) was also founded, which Urho Tuominen played a key role in establishing. After the depression, a period of strong growth began, which was interrupted only in wartime 1939.

The production of distribution boards begins

After the war years, the production of distribution boards began in 1944. At first, the products were cast iron casings, whose life cycle is so long that you may still see them in use. However, they soon switched to sheet metal products.

In the technical trade, the sale of electrical accessories operated in the 1950s under completely different market conditions than today. It is telling that the company received “electricity wholesale rights” in 1960 after becoming a member of the Finnish Electrical Wholesalers Association. In electricity wholesale, the company became the clear market leader in the Satakunta region in Finland with a market share of around 50%.

Production plant in Ulvila. The import begins.

In 1972, factory premises are built on Ahjontie in city of Ulvila, Finland. In the beginning, the factory also had its own sheet metal production and paint shop. Today, parts made by subcontractors, frames and other components are stored in production facilities.

In the 1980s, along with the electrical accessories trade, the importation of electrical accessories was started. UTU Elec Oy in Ulvila manages its own central production, and UTU Powel Oy in the capital region handles installation accessories and component operations. At the end of the millennium, UTU has offices in Ulvila, Vantaa and Tampere in Finland, as well as sales staff all over Finland.

UTU grows and turns 100 years old

At the beginning of the millennium, brave decisions were made and we dared to change the direction: the store in Pori Kauppatori was given up once and for all. UTU’s expansion also began when UTU bought Hager’s Baltic operations in 2007. Even at the moment, UTU Oy has sister companies in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Internally, the UTU companies were organized in 2011, when the Ulvila operations under UTU Elec Oy and the Vantaa operations under UTU Powel Oy were organized into one UTU Oy.

In 2014, UTU will be piloted in the board by the fourth generation of its owners. UTU Automation Oy was born in 2016, when UTU bought the Finnish operations of Beijer Electronics. Today, UTU Automation Oy is a successful supplier and expert in automation products. In 2019, UTU expands further into Norway by purchasing Hager’s Norwegian operations. In the same year, there will be a big celebration when UTU turns 100 years old.

On the path of sustainable development towards the next century

The second tenth of the millennium is starting fast. Significant new product launches will be UTU’s own production site and outlet centers. Substation operations have grown steadily and the first smart substations have been delivered to our customers. The charging range for electric cars is growing even more and now we are able to meet all of our customers’ charging requirements. In 2023 UTU starts to produce own EV-charging station serie, named UTU-X. Automation operations continue with strong profitable growth. Outside Finland’s borders, new brands are added to the selection in Norway, and in the Baltics, UTU is an even stronger partner for contractors.

Where´s electricity, there´s UTU, for the next 100 years.