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Limetec designs and manufactures heavy goods transport solutions including trailers, truck superstructures and dollies. The trailer range includes full trailers, semitrailers, city trailers and center-axle trailers as well as trailers for temperature-controlled transports.
The company also produces a wide choice of truck superstructures for bulk, refrigerated and dangerous goods transport applications and high-quality, low-weight dollies. The product range comprises two distinct lines: Limetec Next and Lime-tec Specials. “Limetec Next is our standard product line, and Limetec Specials offers individually tailored solutions,” Operations Director Leif Snellman describes the difference.
At its factory in Kokkola in western Finland, Limetec has two separate assembly lines for its two product lines. Nevertheless, production is highly efficient because customization takes place only in the final stages of the assembly process. In addition, the company provides maintenance and spare parts services.
“We have dealers and service points across Finland, Norway and Sweden,” states Mr. Snellman. “Our biggest market is Sweden. Besides Scandinavia, our main markets are the Baltic countries, the Netherlands, Russia, Switzerland and the UK.”
Limetec was established only in 1994 but has more than 60 years of experience in the transport sector. “We started as a service for Ahola Transport, which is also based in Kokkola and was founded in 1955,” explains Mr. Snellman. “Ahola Transport is one of the largest privately owned logistics providers in the Nordic region, and we are now part of the Group.”
Limetec started manufacturing trailers and boxes for trucks and kept developing new solutions. “Today, we offer a complete portfolio,” says Mr. Snellman. With over 60 employees and a turnover of twelve million EUR for last year, Limetec is a medium-sized player in the Nordic market. “We expect this year’s sales to reach around 17 million EUR. The main growth comes from the dollies. We have special know-how and solutions in this segment. Our goal is to grow. In the past, we were limited by our size, but now we have paved the way for achieving a new market level.”
We do what the client wants, we are a solution partner. Leif SnellmanOperations Director
Owned by the four founding brothers, Limetec is known in the market for its special solutions like trailers with doors that conveniently open to the side and thus are easier to handle. “We have our own special system that works better than other systems, and the back of the trailer is made of stainless steel,” explains Mr. Snellman. “And the floors are very heavy and among the best available in the market.”
Of course, Limetec offers standard trailers and superstructures, too, but the company’s strength lies in customer-specific solutions. “Everything depends on the kind of transport they do,” says Mr. Snellman. “Some need special axles, others open tops that can be opened with a joy-stick by the driver. We do what the client wants, we are a solution partner.”
Its solution-oriented approach has brought Limetec many loyal customers across Scandinavia. “Often, customers try us once and many of them come back because the solution was great,” states Mr. Snellman. “We have many satisfied customers who are our best advertising. Apart from that, we exhibit at various truck trade fairs, including Hanover’s IAA Commercial Vehicles, and focus on social media.”
In particular, Limetec wants to grow abroad. “We started in Switzerland and Poland, are now entering Germany and the next country will be Italy,” Mr. Snellman describes the internationalization strategy of the dynamically evolving company. “There are many new possibilities and challenges as well.”
To support its growth ambitions, Limetec does a lot of research and development that results in new, high quality transport solutions. “We never stand still,” says Mr. Snellman. “Our vision is to grow to 50 million EUR in revenues in the coming years. The only thing that could prevent us from achieving that goal is the growing skills shortage. We desperately need qualified people.”
