You can
always ask
In 2007 Kesla had good news from Japan. The company signed a cooperation agreement with Japanese Sumitomo (S.H.I.) Construction Machinery Sales Co. and Usui Automechanic Shop. Sumitomo is one of the leading excavator manufacturers in the world. There was a reason why everyone at Kesla was so excited. However, there was one final hurdle – or rather, one clarifying question.
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Around 40% of Japan’s forests are planted
species Japanese cedar. All parts of hinoki cy-
eo about the stroke harvester. The video was
stands, the majority of which have been plant-
press, from bark to pith, are used, and harvest-
found and played, and soon the Japanese were
ed since the Second World War. Japan’s forests
ing must leave no marks on the wood.
excited! That was the solution – Kesla’s stroke
– more than 6 billion m3 of forest resources –
The Japanese delegation visited Kesla’s Kes-
harvester.
grow in mountainous areas, where the ter-
älahti factory. Mikko Lehikoinen, Marketing
When the party left for the airport a second
rain is difficult to navigate and annual rainfall
Manager at the time, asked Export Manager
time, the Japanese were humming with sat-
can often reach around 1,500 mm. There are
Mika Tahvanainen in passing to escort the del-
isfaction.
therefore many challenges in the harvesting
egation to Joensuu Airport for their trip home.
conditions.
Tahvanainen had not participated in any in-
In the mid-2000s, Sumitomo produced more
depth discussions with the guests.
than 10,000 excavators per year. At the same
As Tahvanainen was driving the group to-
time, a forest programme with a strong in-
wards Joensuu, the mood in the car seemed
crease in timber harvesting volumes was
quite disappointed. This made Tahvanainen
launched in Japan. The Japanese wanted to
ask what the guests had come looking for
develop a factory-fitted crawler harvester suit-
and whether they had found it. He asked the
able for modern timber harvesting.
important question. They had been seeking a
A delegation came from Japan to Finland in
harvester head for a small excavator, but ac-
search of a forest technology partner. The
cording to the guests they had not found one.
Japanese were looking for a small harvester
Mika Tahvanainen mentioned Kesla’s stroke
head on the market that would be best suited
harvester – the Japanese should see it. A few
especially for harvesting hinoki cypress. Hinoki
kilometres before the airport, the car made a
cypress is a valuable coniferous tree species in
U-turn. The Export Manager remembered that
Japan that grows on drier land than its sister
somewhere in Joensuu there was a VHS vid-
Hiro (left) and Mika Tahvanainen (right) during a customer visit in Japan.
