The Focused Generation
‘Sustainability’ isn’t just a buzzword to Ensto’s third generation of owners. They’re building the company around it.
In 2018, the majority of Ensto's ownership was transferred to the third generation of the family. In 2022, the new owners hammered out a clear strategy to focus on the electricity distribution business that would guide the organization through the decade to come.
“Ensto's journey started 65 years ago,” says Iida Miettinen, an Ensto owner, member of Ensto’s Board of Directors, as well as a granddaughter of Ensio Miettinen. “Our first products were for DSOs. In a way, we’re getting back to our roots. In our family office, the focus is to support Ensto’s growth.
Sustainable in more than name
While the new owners are committed to achieving Ensto's mission of making life better with electricity, they insist on doing that sustainably. For them, "sustainable" is more than just a corporate buzzword: they have attached it to business targets, incentive systems, and ESG practices.
“More and more of our products are sustainable in their production and lifecycles,” says Miettinen. “We have a target for sustainable products and CO2 reduction as they relate to total sales. We measure the recyclability of our products and seek more sustainable materials for them. New products are developed through the lens of a circular economy.”
Another dimension to Ensto’s definition of sustainability is equality. “We understand that Ensto people are the core of what we do,” she says, “and for that reason we are committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion.”
Globally green
Ensto’s ambition is to grow the business globally, taking products to countries where they’re needed. “Places such as California, where extreme weather requires products that perform under difficult conditions,” says Miettinen.
Ensto Invest is the Miettinen family office, and Iida Miettinen says it is committed to offering support so Ensto can grow globally. Examples are recent investments like those in Arcteq, Röhrbacher, Protrol, silicone technology, and the lab expansion in Porvoo, all done in the name of reliable and long-lasting products for infrastructure.
In order to focus, the owners have had to make tough decisions. In July 2021, Ensto Group sold Ensto Building Systems (EBS) to Legrand France. “I’d be lying if I said the divestment was easy,” says Miettinen. “We had a long and successful history with EBS and I had a personal background there. My first summer job was in production in the Porvoo factory on mostly EBS products. During my studies, I was on the EBS marketing team. I had personal involvement in that business and have been passionate about it.”
But this is part of what’s required to be a leading expert for DSOs. “The green transition is happening, and we want to play a role by offering our long-lasting solutions to DSOs. These solutions are one reason we’re growing. This gets me excited because Ensto is actually able to help build critical and robust infrastructures globally, which drives the green transition. When grandfather founded the company, we were making reliable and long-lifecycle products. Today, it’s even more so.”