Mako Oy – English

For fire safety since 1920
The story of MAKO Osakeyhtiö began in the spring of 1920. The founding meeting was held in January, and in April the company was registered under the name Osakeyhtiö Palokalusto.

In 1930 the company name changed to Oy Masalin & Co Ab, and in 1937 to Oy Masalin ja Kumpp.

Since 1961, the traditional family business has been known as MAKO Osakeyhtiö.

When the company was founded, its product range consisted purely of firefighting equipment: hand-held water jets, hose reels, hose pipes and quick couplings. In the 1930s, operations expanded rapidly under the guidance of owner Rich Lindgren, who had energetically steered the company for over 30 years. The company manufactured its first fire engine and began mass production of portable motorized water jets. In the second half of the decade, pumps were added when the company purchased Keravan Pumpputehtaas and Rautavalimo Oy. In addition to the Aino-Kerava pumps, the MAKO water ring pump, which is still in active use today, was added to the manufacturing program. During the war years of 1939–1945, like many other companies, MAKO also adapted its operations to the requirements of exceptional circumstances.

The defense forces were a significant employer for the company – instead of fighting fire, they now had to be able to create it, so MAKO manufactured ammunition parts, machine gun cartridges, mine parts and tent stoves. After peace, the company expanded its valve manufacturing as part of war reparations deliveries. Since then, the range has been further expanded with, among other things, safety valves.

The refinement of operations continued in the 1950s, when MAKO purchased the share capital of Oy Veljekset Kulmala Ab. The traditional fire engine and equipment manufacturer manufactured approximately 1,300 stylish fire engines between 1927 and 1977. Even in the “fire engine beauty contest” held in 1994, the company’s vehicles won two top places. Today, Veljekset Kulmala’s main products are the ESA motor sprayer, operational fire equipment solutions, and aluminum ladders for professional and home use. MAKO’s fire engine expertise was further strengthened in 1968, when the company purchased the share capital of K. Nummela Oy. In addition to manufacturing fire engines and hydraulic equipment, the company had developed the first aerial platform truck at the beginning of the decade, and in the 1970s and 1980s, approximately 700 more were manufactured under MAKO’s ownership.

In the 1960s, the business cluster was also supplemented with the properties and land of the Antskogin Verkatehtaas factory located in the municipality of Pohja. The fire extinguisher factory began operations in 1966. Since then, the fire extinguisher models created on the production lines and their manufacturing process have been developed to meet the needs of users and updated authority requirements. At the same time, the Turva fire extinguisher service network operating throughout Finland also started operations. Since then, the product range has included, among others, Halon 1211-filled fire extinguishers intended specifically for extinguishing liquid and electrical fires, as well as Argon gas extinguishing systems. Since 1993, MAKO Osakeyhtiö has been part of the MAKO group, which also includes Veljekset Kulmala Oy, Paloturva Oy, Antskogin ruukki and Heteka Oy.