S a ltex Oy is an ar ti f ici a l gra ss
producer with modern production facilities in Finland. The company
is an i n te rna tio na lly reco gn ise d
p l a ye r i n the s p o r ts s urfa ci ng
i ndu st r y and o n e of ve r y few
a cc re d ite d a s a FIFA P refe rre d
P rovi d e r. H anna h Barn ett s p oke
to Divisio n Di recto rs H annu
S a l m e nau tio and A n jo van d e r
We nd e to le arn m o re .
Saltex Oy artificial grass products are
designed to provide the best perfor-
mance for players on the pitch, while
also offering a cost-effective solution for the
buyer. This results in artificial grass systems
that meet high standards of proven durability
and have a lower impact on the environment.
“We are a turf producer, but we work
through the whole value chain,” said Hannu
Salmenautio, Division Director. “Production is
only one part. We work with all the stages in-
volved, even construction. It’s not only grass.”
“This vertical integration is what really
differentiates us from competitors,” agreed
Anjo van der Wende, Division Director. “We do everything from production to maintenance,
renovation and recycling, with a big focus on
system design. We don’t simply produce
the artificial turf, we develop our own components, like infill. Ultimately, we try to produce as much in-house as possible under our own IP.”
A brief background
Nowadays, Saltex is part of the Unisport
Group. However, the family company has been successfully operating in Finland since 1991, when it was founded by Mr Salmenautio, alongside his brother and father
A key milestone passed in 2002 when the company started working with FIFA . Partnership with such a well-known organisation helped Saltex become a more international operation, pushing further outside of
Scandinavia. This was followed by a merger with previous competitor Unisport in 2015.
“With investment from private equity, we created a group called Unisport Saltex,” said Mr Salmenautio. “At the same time, we expanded our activities to sports equipment and indoor flooring, giving us a wider portfolio. We have become a bigger, stronger and more international company since the merger.”
Saltex, with branch offices in the four Nordic countries and the Netherlands to facilitate its contracting services, also exports to several countries inside and outside Europe. The company now has a revenue of €140 million and around 300 employees
Having worked together for almost a decade, in 2011, Saltex become one of the world’s few FIFA Preferred Producers. This makes the company the northernm ost
ISO-certified producer with FIFA Preferred
Provider status
“Being a preferred provider for FIFA means
we have the required knowledge and a strong
track record,” said Mr Salmenautio. “It’s not just the grass, we must have civil engineering
on our payroll and R&D capability.
“We have recently been in Milan with the
FIFA Technical Advisory Group, developing
a new standard We are not just selling our products and putting a FIFA stamp on them
We also have the responsibility to continue to develop the industry. Our stakeholders
are players and member associations, but also communities and cities.”
Saltex also undergoes regular audits on process, governance and sustainability in order to comply with the requirements of the FIFA status. “Plus, every field we install, we have to report to FIFA ,” Mr Salmenautio added. “We send a package of information about each project. We also must have our marketing materials approved to ensure that our message is aligned.”
Saltex and sustainability
In 2012, Saltex changed all its turf coatings
from latex to dry recyclable systems and creates 40% less raw material waste.
The same year, Saltex also introduced the drainage pad system PowerPlay that improves water efficiency and reduces environmental loads during installation and field use.
“ We al s o collect the runoff wate r onsite and use it as greywater in the facility for the toilets or for sprinkling the field,” Mr van der
Wende explained. “Making these changes
has meant we have zero wastewater and use less energy. And, in our opinion, we make
a better product.”
In anticipation of the EU ban on
microplastics coming in 2031, Saltex has developed BioFlex, a water-resistant infill product constructed from biodegradable
material. The alternative for non-infill artificial turf fields is made with a coated mineral that is approved for usage in toys and food production.
“We are the first in the market that has achieved the biodegradable certificate defined by the ECHA directive,” Mr van der Wende said. “We have passed OECD test guidelines, verified by a third party. This is unique product development from our side.
“Organic infills like cork and wood chips
are not under the scope of the ban, but they are very difficult to apply in the Nordics
because of the climate. So, we had to engineer a product suitable for our region and we came up with Bioflex.”
Project partnerships
The company works closely with its supply chain to continue its development path.
Partners include Covia from Denmark and
TenCate in the Netherlands Both have proved valuable collaborators in innovation
“We are a small industry, so it would be difficult and expensive to develop a use for biopolymers in our applications on our own,” explained Mr van der Wende. “So, we try to find companies active in other areas and modify their solutions to our needs
That way, we get a product that is suitable for the market from a functional perspective and from a pricing perspective. The benefit for the partner is, of course, that they have
another area to distribute their products
Usually, we bring the functional design while they bring the k nowle dge of the product itself, and that cooperation leads to something new
“We always develop our systems with
FIFA regulations in mind, so that the players
always have a good, safe surface to play
on. If one of our development goals doesn’t meet the requirements, we don’t introduce
it to the market.”
Wi th o ng o ing re quire m e n t s fo r n ew
pro du ct s and sus tainab le s ol u t i o ns , the ar t ifi c ia l t urf mar ket is a d e manding o n e.
Bu t if Sa ltex h as a fau lt, i t is b e ing too inn ova t ive.
“Sometimes we are a little bit too early in the market, before the demand is really there,” said Mr van der Wende. “For instance, around four ye ars ago, we introduce d a
fully electrical installation – and there was no interest. But now, the market has caught up and we see it in tenders. That was frustrating. However, the whole innovative process has ups and downs that come with it, otherwise it would be a bit boring. That is what motivates me.”
“Some days are diffic ult, l ike in eve ry company,” Mr Sal me nautio concl ude d
“ But we s ee that as oppor tunity. E ve ry
time there is change, there is oppor tunity.
With an innovative way of thinking and be ing proactive, we can e nvision things
that may not be possible to day but might
be in five or 10 years.” n
