Ajalugu

Rapid expansion and acquisitions 

The eighties was a decade of rapid expansion, primarily to other Nordic countries, but also in other directions. Acquisitions and merges continued and co-operation began with the German Busch-Jaeger Elektro GmbH.

New factory

A new factory was built in Porvoo in 1983, and robotics was introduced to manufacturing. The same year, the company got its new logo visible in the picture from The Electrex 88 Fair in Birmingham.

International electrification project 

By the end of the 80s Ensto’s electrification projects had reached already to Iraq, Peru and Malaysia.

New products 

Ensto expanded into new product families to e.g. electric heating systems, components for airfield lighting and industrial ceramics. EnstoNet, a flexible installation system, was developed in cooperation with the customers.

Signs of recession 

Exactly as in the seventies, Ensio Miettinen had uneasy feelings about the trends in economy and was one of the first to foresee the new recession. He started to think of ways to survive it.

Savings and buyouts 

Ensto froze the investments and tightened the belt. Being a company of many business areas helped overcome the recession. Expanding and acquisitions continued, for instance a distribution company was acquired in Great Britain. 

To the east 

A lot of resources were allocated to Russia and Baltic countries in 1993. The company transferred some of the assembly work to Estonia and Hungary and founded subsidiaries as well in Russia, Poland and Latvia.

New plant 

On 2 April 1998, a new plant of Ensto Busch-Jaeger was opened in Porvoo.

Second generation to the management 

In 1994 Mr. Timo Miettinen became Managing Director. In 1996, he started as the Chairman of the Board, and Mr. Petteri Walldén was nominated as Managing Director.

A vast variety of products 

Ensto designed also products for environmental and animal protection, e.g. ceramic filters, wire markers and bird protection devices.

Strong image 

Ensto’s external image was strengthened and its visibility increased. Ensto had developed into a significant, one brand. 

Three business units 

In 2004 Ensto was divided to three separate business areas: Ensto Building Technology, Ensto Utility Networks and Ensto Enclosures and Components.

Next generation 

The year 2001 saw some things come to an end and many others begin at Ensto. Ensio Miettinen transferred all the authority and responsibility of ownership to the next generation.

Acquisitions and divestments 

Presence in France and Spain became stronger with the help of a new acquisition. Companies were founded in Ukraine, Kazakhstan, Lithuania and Germany and new production plants opened in Poland and Russia.

50 years of excellent customer-care 

In 2008, Ensto celebrated its 50th anniversary with the theme Ensto Performance 50+. The last quarter of 2008 was also a year of a sudden economic downturn.

Aqcuisitions emphasize energy efficiency 

In 2009, Ensto sold its share of electric installation equipment and accessory manufacturer Ensto Busch-Jaeger to power and automation technology provider ABB, with whom Ensto had a joint venture since the year 1980.

Later that year, Ensto strengthened its capabilities in plastic compression by acquiring Estonian-based Imco, and later in energy efficiency by acquiring Porvoo-based ventilation and heat recovery equipment manufacturer Enervent, who's CEO Timo Luukkainen became Ensto's CEO. With this, a new era of energy efficiency and sustainability began. The company's new customer promise, "Ensto Saves Your Energy" was launched.

Ensto expands in France

In 2010, Ensto strengthened its capabilities, especially in the area of smart grids by acquiring French Novexia; a manufacturer of low and medium voltage power grid accessories, as well as their automation and remote control equipment. Investments on the French market and in office electrification continued, when in 2012 Ensto acquired French-owned PGEP; designer and manufacturer of assemblies made of evolving and re-configurable sockets dedicated to energy, voice, data and images interconnection in office spaces. In 2016, Ensto invested more into electricity quality by acquiring French Tridelta Parafoudres, manufacturer of surge arresters for utility networks.

More investments in energy efficiency

Ensto strengthened its positions as a leading Finnish lighting solution manufacturer by acquiring Finnish Alppilux in 2014; a manufacturer of energy efficient lighting solutions. The acquisition significantly expanded Ensto's product selection, which now comprises a comprehensive solution range for both indoor and outdoor lighting as well as satisfies the needs of residential and business construction.

A war against losses

The Ensto Operational Excellence program, based on lean methods, was launched in Ensto's production sites in 2012 with the aim of achieving continuous improvements, concentrating on value-added production and reducing of losses. This development translated itself into shorter lead times and greater flexibility in production as well as in ameliorated product quality, which in turn created greater customer satisfaction.

3D-printing became a part of product development

Ensto greatly developed its product development, its own testing laboratories and its technologies. 3D printing became a part of the product development process.

Result improvements in product portfolio management

In 2014 an extensive product portfolio management project was launched with the aim of ensuring that the right product and service offering was available to customers.

Ensto digitalizes

An extensive Digital Ensto project was launched; aiming to define how digitalization will have an impact on Ensto's activities and how for example the digitalizing of Ensto's products, services, processes and tools could strengthen our growth strategy and through this improve customer loyalty.

Changes in management and organizational structure

Ensto reorganized its structure and offering by creating a strong and able organization capable of responding quickly to the challenges of constantly changing markets. As such, the Ensto Lighting business unit was created, and the Ensto Building Technology and Ensto Industrial Solutions business units were reorganized under one unit, Ensto Electrification.

Marjo Miettinen, one of Ensto's owners, became chairman of the board in 2016. Ari Virtanen was named Ensto's new CEO and with this, a new strategy era began. The new Ensto Smart Buildings business unit combines electrification, lighting and EV charging businesses. The Ensto Utility Networks business unit enables optimal capacity and quality of electricity distribution networks. The new Ensto Digital Solutions business unit develops digital solutions for both smart buildings, electric traffic and electricity distribution networks.

Ensto's parent company Ensto Invest made arrangements in the ownership related to the Miettinen family's generational change process. The majority of the shares of Ensto Invest was transferred to the ownership of the third generation in April 2018.

In 2019, Hannu Keinänen was appointed Ensto's CEO and President. As of August 2019, Ensto has two business units: Ensto Smart Buildings and Ensto Utility Networks. The functions of the Ensto Digital Solutions business unit were integrated into other parts of the organization.

To ensure the growth, profitability and long-term development of Ensto, a new "Two businesses, two focuses" strategy was launched in the autumn 2020. From January 1, 2021 onwards, the Ensto family consist of two businesses with their separate focuses: Ensto DSO (Distribution System Operators), and Ensto Building Systems.

Today Ensto is a technology company and an international family business, which provides reliable and smart electrical solutions and expertise for electricity distribution networks and buildings. We believe in a better life with electricity and a more sustainable tomorrow.

Born to be an entrepreneur

Ensio Miettinen was born in 1929 into a family of entrepreneurs, in which acquiring an enterprising outlook was almost a question of inheritance. For Ensio, childhood was more preparation for the future than play: he was raised by his engineer father, his mother having died almost immediately after his birth. Ensio spent his childhood in Vyborg, but war broke out when he was 9 and he was evacuated to central Finland.

Ensio began work as a 22-year-old technical university student with Puristustuote Oy, run by his father. Ensio describes his relationship with his father as follows: “despite its ups and downs, and loves and hates, it was the fundamental driving force behind my entrepreneurial career and life”. “Open a hotdog stand if you have to, but don’t work for someone else,” was his father’s advice. By 1958, after six years of work, Ensio was ready to establish his own company.

Iron will and innovation

Ensio recounts the early phases of his career: “Of course I was confident that I would succeed. I knew the business inside out. When I was 22, I went to work at Puristustuote, running it by the time I was 23. At first, as such a young technical manager, I didn’t inspire much respect among our business partners, who were of an entirely different generation. When I was 28, I established my own engineering company, Insinööritoimisto Ensio Miettinen, and started production, lathing small metal parts.” The early years were characterised by a hectic working pace and entrepreneurialism.

An inexhaustible thirst for knowledge and the ability to make observations and deductions helped Ensio create a successful company. Just seven years later, it was larger than his father’s. In the 1970s he expanded the company’s product portfolio to cover new fields, and in the 1980s embarked on internationalization. Knowing how to perform and implement product development - innovation - has always been among Ensio’s strengths, attested to by over 100 patents in his name.

A business management innovator

During the 1975 recession, when Ensio was 45, Ensto surmounted its most severe crisis. As Ensio wryly commented: “I stopped being an engineer and focused on the electronics of souls, and I’m only half kidding when I say that.” Ensio’s thoughts concerning business management developed through a series of diary-like handouts he distributed to friends and co-workers.

After enlisting co-writer Esa Saarinen, a philosopher, the book “Muutostekijä” (The Change Factor) was published, emphasizing people and the human factor in working life. The book became a success in Finland, followed by books co-written with business administration expert Risto Harisalo, such as “Klassinen liberalismi” (Classical Liberalism) and ”Luottamuspääoma” (Trust as Capital), packed with unbiased observations on Finnish society, and having a strong impact on Finnish corporate culture. In Ensio’s own words: “As an entrepreneur I know that you cannot change people, either at work or in life. You can only till the soil, and trust will either flourish or wither.” The concept of trust as capital is based on this idea, as are Ensio’s values.

A family company’s legacy

The company created by Ensio Miettinen is alive and well. His values will remain at the core of Ensto, a family company, although the power and responsibility connected to company ownership were finally transferred to the second generation in 2001. Ensio believes that family companies with a human face remain critical in a globalizing world with few trade barriers.