Valves for the most demanding applications

VALVES FOR THE MOST

DEMANDING APPLICATIONS

Finnish company Vexve’s acquisition of Naval Oy in 2014 has created a strong valve family with unparalleled district heating and cooling expertise. Felicity Landon reports on a family-owned company with ambitions for significant further growth.

Vexve Oy is known for industry expertise, high quality, fast deliveries and superior customer service. It has gained a string of awards in recent years, including the President of Finland’s Internationalisation Award in 2013, and it has set some ambitious targets increasing turnover.

The world’s leading manufacturer of high-quality valves specifically designed and developed for the most demanding district heating and district cooling applications, Vexve also manufactures a wide range of valves and smart heating controllers for heating and cooling systems, as well as high-quality valves for the oil & gas sector. Vexve’s headquarters are located in Sastamala; all of its products are manufactured at its plants in Sastamala and Laitila.

Company background

Vexve was first established by Jorma Nieminen in 1960, as a company specialising in HVAC contracting. In 1990, it expanded into ball valve production – an activity that doubled in size just six years later. Butterfly valve production started in 2004, and in 2008 there was a further expansion of ball valve production.

In 2009, Vexve acquired Automix, adding controls and loading products to the portfolio; there was further expansion of production in 2010 and 2012, and large ball valve production began in 2013. Last year, as well as the Naval acquisition, Vexve launched its hydraulic actuators range.

Last year (2014), Vexve acquired Naval Oy from the American group Flowserve. The fusion of these two successful valve suppliers, officially completed by the start of 2015, has created a leader in the market place; the combined forces have also enhanced Vexve’s operations with centralised functions. The aim, says the company, is to serve its customers even better in the future.

Production profile

“Our employees’ know-how, modern production methods and highly automated production guarantee high quality and economically optimised manufacturing,” says current owner, chairman and managing director Jarmo Nieminen, who is the son of the founder. “Vexve’s business has been developed in a responsible manner with long-term objectives. Partnership thinking, social responsibil-

ity and a strong set of values have been the cornerstones of the company’s success.” “Our production capacity is currently about one million valves per year, with no immediate need for a capacity increase,” says Mr Nieminen. “Our service centres in Beijing and St Petersburg, as well as a worldwide network of partners, provide local customer support.”

The product range includes district heating/district cooling products – steel ball valves, butterfly valves, long stem ball valves, branching valves, hot tapping valves and drilling equipment; oil and gas products – gas ball valves, long stem gas ball valves, steel and stainless steel ball valves, steel and stainless steel balancing valves, smart heating controllers, mixing valves and bio-loading units.

“Our cleantech products are designed for the entire lifecycle of district cooling and heating systems, delivering the highest possible energy efficiency and cost-effectiveness throughout the whole network,” says Mr Nieminen. “We also offer manual gears, electric and hydraulic actuators, extension spindles and pre-insulated valve assemblies tailored according to customer-specific requirements.”

New products and innovations are always ongoing at Vexve. Mr Nieminen says: “For the easy and reliable optimisation of district heating/ cooling network operations, we recommend our new HydroX solutions, for automatic opening/closing. Offering minimum maintenance and complete safety, HydroX actuators can be manually, automatically or remotely controlled and are specifically designed for district heating and district cooling applications, with full compatibility to Vexve Valves.”

The core focus of Vexve’s R&D is the continuous efficiency improvement of energy distribution networks, he says. “In addition, we cooperate with boiler and heat exchanger manufacturers, for instance, to further develop our products and meet the changing challenges of energy production. Finland is one of the leading European countries in renewable energy deployment.”

Global network

Through its comprehensive dealer network, Vexve serves gas and energy plants, specialised companies requiring pre-insulated valves, boiler and heat exchanger manufacturers, heating and cooling systems companies, and building services contractors. It has long-term clients across Europe and China in particular.

“Our products are delivered all over the world and our distributors serve end customers in more than 30 countries,” says Mr Nieminen. “The main market areas are Europe, China, Russia and North America, with most recently the rapidly growing Middle East market.”

Vexve has built its success on long and well established relationships. “We strongly believe in shared success and partnership,” he says. “It is only with the cooperation of suppliers, subcontractors, agents and distributors that we are able to provide our customers with superior end products and services. A good example of a long supplier relationship is the excellent cooperation we have with ball supplier Inoxforma S.L.”

Showcasing new developments

Vexve regularly takes part in various industry events and exhibitions. “We want to build our network, learn new things and, at the same time, promote our products and development work,” says Mr Nieminen. At the ISH trade fair in Frankfurt, Vexve is looking to generate interest in a number of building services products. Its latest development is the AM45 smart district heating controller, self-learning and based on the actual flow of produced hot water. With many other advanced control features, AM45 is a fully customisable solution for control of the district heating substation.

The company will also be focusing on the AM40 control, which guarantees superior operation and living comfort with energy savings. This innovative control solution for hydronic underfloor heating and cooling systems is also scalable for hybrid systems. Another important product is the AM20-W smart temperature control solution with wireless room temperature control. The controller makes individual room temperature control simple and intelligent. And finally, Vexve will be promoting its weldable control valve solutions that are extremely installer-friendly, reliable and maintenance-free.

And so, to the future. How does Mr Nieminen see Vexve developing over the next few years? “We strongly believe that Finnish energy expertise is in demand around the world,” he says. “In the future we will also be able provide expertise and experience, as well as high-quality products developed in demanding real-world operating environments.

“Our focus is on organic growth in the near future, but in the longer term growth may also be acquisition driven. Our goal is to break the €100 million turnover threshold within three years.” n