Samesor 60 years – Celebrating Decades of Shared Journey in Roll Forming

As we celebrate our 60th anniversary, we’re not just celebrating our own journey. We celebrate the shared path with the people who have experienced the highs and lows alongside us: our customers – the very people who made this possible, all the collaborators and stakeholders, suppliers and partners. And our own great people here in Samesor. Everything we’ve achieved over the past six decades has been accomplished together: people are the key in creating the machines and solutions we do! Let’s take a short look at some of the events that have shaped Samesor into what it is today.

Founded in 1964, Samesor started much like any other metal workshop. After all, “Samesor” stands for “Savon MetalliSorvaamo,” in English “metal lathe workshop of Savo”. However, subcontracting work on machine parts – which happened to be roll tools – soon sparked an idea: “Wouldn’t it be interesting to make our own roll forming machine?” Roll forming was then a quickly evolving, flexible alternative for sheet metal forming, and clearly, the founders were onto something big. By 1970, the first machine bearing our brand was created.

In our early days, Samesor was a family company pushed forwards by dedicated people such as Erkki Säynevirta. The personal stake in the business meant everyone was deeply committed. This ethos is reflected in our very existence and spirit: we are known for our dedication to completing tasks and nurturing relationships. For example, in the Samesor team, a 20-year career is considered mid-length. This same commitment is evident in our customer relationships. Over the years, we have learned to trust and depend on each other – a story we will tell more about in the paragraphs to follow.

In the 1970s, it became popular to build sheet metal roofs with an imitation tile pattern. This gave houses a traditional look with the benefits of lightweight metal roofing and added rigidity from the pattern. Samesor was one of the pioneers in metal roof tiling machinery, a process particularly well-suited for roll forming machines. This innovation greatly boosted the company, and these machines became the backbone of our sales for years. Even today they are part of our core business and one of our deep know-how areas.

Until 1975, Samesor primarily served domestic customers. But driven by the courage to go international and not fear the distances, there was a global demand for innovative machinery. The first export countries were Scandinavian countries and the Soviet Union, but soon the world opened up, with exports reaching Europe and Asia, even as far as the Ivory Coast and Nigeria, to name a few. What’s more, many of the machines sold decades ago are still rolling strong, thanks to proper maintenance and updates.

With the international market, it’s the needs of our customers and their end products that drive our product development. Take roof tile profiles, for example: what kind of features are needed for the end product to achieve maximum strength, longevity, easy installation, and other desired properties, not to mention the visual appearance and design? Developing the end product requires a seamless feedback loop from users to us. This willingness to deeply understand the needs of our customers has always been a hallmark of Samesor – and it still is today.

In 1994, Samesor faced a crisis as Finland underwent its worst depression since the 1930s. Sales plummeted virtually overnight, and the management of the family-owned company was out of ideas. The company filed for bankruptcy, but just when all seemed lost, a loyal customer company purchased us and we had a period with Lindab Ab . This demonstrates how Samesor had grown into a critical supplier – a partner they wouldn’t let go. We always have been in close cooperation with our customers, or partnership, as we rather call it. Long-lasting partnership with a customer led us to the newest remarkable step in our story in 2023, when Samesor was acquired by the Polish company Budmat Bogdan Więcek – our longtime customer. 

With the new muscle provided by Budmat, Samesor is a strong industry player in roll forming technology. As machines become increasingly equipped with digital smarts, sensor technology, and advanced monitoring, we have evolved from a machining workshop to a full-fledged technology partner. Capable of offering modern, sustainable technology as well as cost-effective updates, modernizations, and changes to existing machinery, Samesor combines the time-proven engineering of its well-known and trusted blue machines with new digital possibilities. As always, we are driven by the needs of you – our customers. Our greatest thanks go to you. We are glad to see where the next 60 years will take us together.