HARNESSING THE FUTURE SKS Connecto is a leading European manufacturer of wire sets and cable harnesses. Philip Yorke talked to Ilpo Makela, the company’s communications director, about its dedicated, high-tech products and expanding range of value-added services.
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KS was founded in Finland in 1924 and is a privately owned company that forms a significant part of the Finnish SKS Group. The SKS Group is a multi-faceted conglomerate involved in the machine building industry and offers a broad portfolio of products and services. These range from the manufacture and sale of components and semi-finished products to machine assemblies and complete, ready-to-install machines. SKS Connecto focuses on providing customer-specific cable harnesses and wire sets, as well as assemblies and contract manufacturing services. The company also offers design consultancy and prototype manufacturing in addition to logistics and material-flow management services. The SKS Group is a modern family enterprise with offices in Finland, Russia, the Baltic countries and China. The group has over 700 employees and in 2010 achieved sales of more than €110 million.
Product lifecycle management As part of the SKS Group, SKS Connecto offers much more than quality, tailor-made wire sets and harnesses. Industrial machine
builders can benefit from a partnership with a modern customer-orientated company that provides many competitive advantages. SKS supplies automation, electrical and machine-building components, drives, control systems and contract manufacturing, as well as complete machine vision products and services. SKS can therefore manage the entire lifecycle of industrial machinery and equipment. SKS Connecto manufactures complex, custom-designed wire sets and cable harnesses to meet its customers’ specific requirements, as well as offering machine assemblies and contract manufacturing. The company’s expert designers are quick to understand a customer’s individual needs and to provide the most cost-effective response to any challenge. High quality components and a wide range of specialist competences guarantee the optimum outcomes for its customers. Mr Makela said, “We are the subcontractor of choice for many leading machine builders operating both in Finland and beyond. We have recently established a major manufacturing plant in Poland called SKS Connecto Polska and this will serve our Finnish customers
as well as our growing number of customers in Poland and the Baltics. We are also producing customer-specific harnesses for customers coming from Romania and Estonia. “Our products are used in a multitude of industries, from tree-felling machinery and harbour cranes to concrete laying equipment and electrical installations. We specialise in designing and producing highly individual and difficult wire and harness solutions for our diverse range of customers. We work in close partnership with our customers and our designers can offer a unique combination of in-depth experience and practical solutions. We also have a wide
