Vaisala
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| Vaisala | |
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| Type | Public (OMX: VAIAS) |
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| Founded | 1936 (as Mittari Oy) |
| Headquarters | Vantaa, Finland |
| Key people | Kjell Forsen, CEO |
| Products | environmental and industrial measurement instruments |
| Revenue |  197,9 million EUR (2005) |
| Net income | 30.1 million EUR (2005) |
| Employees | 1,042 |
| Website | www.vaisala.com |
Vaisala is a Finnish company that develops, manufactures and markets products and services for environmental and industrial measurement.
The major customer groups are national meteorological services, aviation authorities, defense forces, road and rail authorities, land and water resource management agencies, research institutes, insurance companies, public utilities and industry worldwide.
Vaisala had more than 1 000 employees and had net sales of EUR 197.9 million in 2005. Vaisala serves customers around the world. Operations outside Finland accounted for 96% of net sales in 2005.
Parent company Vaisala Oyj, domicile in Vantaa, Finland, is listed on the Helsinki Stock Exchange in Finland. The Vaisala Group has offices and operations in Finland, Northern America, France, United Kingdom, Germany, China, Sweden, Malaysia, Japan and Australia.
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[edit] History
Vaisala's origins date back to the 1930's when Professor Vilho Väisälä, Vaisala's founder and long-time managing director, invented some of the operating principles of a radiosonde. He sent the first Finnish radiosonde aloft in December 1931. After the first sounding, Väisälä continued with further development and tests until a radiosonde could be brought into production and deliveries started in 1936. Already from the very start, Vaisala was clearly an international business, exporting 95 percent of the production. As the Vaisala radiosonde became internationally renowned, the demand for them increased. In 1944, prof. Väisälä established a company called Mittari Oy ("Gauge Incorporated") and set up manufacturing facilities for radiosonde systems. The first sounding system included a semi-automatic radiosonde receiver, a calibration device and a ground check set. The company employed 13 people at the time. Later, in 1955, the name of Mittari was changed to Vaisala.
From a modest start, the company evolved to become a world leader in many measurement fields and to establish a noteworthy Finnish export industry. At the end of 1954 a modern manufacturing plant was relocated in Vantaa. Since then, the headquarters have been expanded several times and Vaisala's product range has been diversified and expanded greatly. Nowadays Vaisala employs over 1,000 people and exports 96 per cent of its production to over 100 countries.
[edit] Vilho Väisälä
Professor Vilho Väisälä (1889-1969) was an esteemed inventor as well as the founder and long-standing Managing Director of Vaisala. He set an example of creativity, high quality, devotion, pride in professional skills, and belief in one’s own abilities - all qualities much honored at Vaisala today. Vaisala’s origins date back to the 1930s when Professor Väisälä invented some of the operating principles of a radiosonde. He sent the first Finnish radiosonde aloft in December 1931.
[edit] Commercial production since 1936
After the first sounding, Väisälä continued with further development and tests until a radiosonde could be brought into commercial production. Radiosonde deliveries started in 1936. Amongst its first customers was the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In 1937, Väisälä’s radiosonde won a gold medal at the World Fair in Paris. As the radiosonde became internationally renowned, demand increased.
[edit] Recovering from the wars
World War II, the Finnish Winter War 1939-1940 and the Finnish Continuation War 1941-1944 disrupted many lives, and upset business and delivery activities internationally. The post-war decades witnessed a strenuous effort to revive the national and international economies. Vaisala grew to employ 60 people in 1954. The first issue of Vaisala News magazine was published in 1959. Thanks to major product development efforts, during the 1950s and 1960s the Vaisala Sounding System became completely electronic, the first automatic radiosonde receiver and the world’s first fully transistorized radiosonde were introduced, and the first weather satellite image receiver was delivered. Yrjö Toivola took over as the Managing Director of the company when Professor Vilho Väisälä died in 1969.
[edit] Vigorous 70s & 80s
The 1970s and 1980s were busy decades for Vaisala. Thin-film technology was developed for Vaisala HUMICAP® humidity sensors - the first in the world. The Vaisala CORA® Automatic Sounding System - along with automatic weather stations, road weather stations and aviation weather systems - was introduced. In 1975, Vaisala employed over 200 people. During the 1980s, numerous new offices were established to ensure the company’s ability to serve customers worldwide - in the UK, Japan, USA, Germany, and Australia. A traffic weather company was also acquired in the UK. Vaisala’s first clean room was built to enable the design and manufacture of semiconductors in-house. Vaisala BAROCAP® barometric pressure sensor technology was introduced, as well as a new radiosonde family - the Vaisala Radiosonde RS80. The Professor Vilho Väisälä Award was established in cooperation with the WMO, to stimulate interest in meteorological research involving meteorological observation methods and instruments.
[edit] New millennium
CEO Pekka Ketonen was appointed in 1992. This could be seen to mark the beginning of yet another era in Vaisala’s development. The company was listed on the Helsinki Exchanges in 1994. By then, it employed over 600 people. Further product developments included the introduction of GPS technology for upper air wind measurement, the Vaisala CARBOCAP® CO2 sensor, and Vaisala DRYCAP® sensor technology for industrial dewpoint measurement. New offices were established in France and China, and business acquisitions in aviation weather and surface weather further enhanced Vaisala’s presence in the USA.
The new millennium was kicked-off with yet more business acquisitions - in wind profiling, lightning detection and aviation weather. U.S. manufacturing operations were concentrated in Boulder (CO), USA. New product launches included a new radiosonde product family - the Vaisala Radiosonde RS92, as well as the Vaisala Weather Transmitter, which measures the six most essential weather parameters in one compact instrument. A new and improved clean room is another recent introduction, and a clear sign of the company’s commitment to quality and innovation.
CEO Ketonen retired October 1st, 2006. Vaisala's board of directors appointed Kjell Forsén the new company CEO. Forsén last served as president of Ericsson Finland before joining Vaisala on September 18th, 2006.
[edit] History of acquisitions and divestments
The Vaisala Group strives for global market and product leadership in selected business areas. The goal is achieved mainly by organic growth and supplemented by corporate acquisitions.
December 2005 the Group acquired Sigmet Corporation of Westford, Massachusetts, USA.
July 2005 the Group acquired CLH Inc. of Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA.
March 2002 the Group acquired Global Atmospherics Inc. of Tucson, Arizona, USA.
June 2001 the Group acquired the Meteorological Systems Unit of Radian International LLC of USA.
October 2000 the Group acquired Jenoptik Impulsphysik GmbH of Germany.
February 2000 the Group acquired Dimension SA of France.
October 1999 the Group acquired Handar Inc. of USA.
March 1999 the Group acquired AIR Inc. of USA.
July 1996 the Group acquired Artais Weather Check Inc. of USA.
June 1995 the Group sold Vaisala Technologies Inc. to Breed Technologies Inc. of USA. Vaisala Technologies Inc. (VTI) manufactured silicon capacitive sensors for the car industry.
August 1989 the Group acquired the British Thermal Mapping International Ltd. of United Kingdom. Thermal Mapping specialized in measuring the thermal characteristics of roads and runways and in providing forecast models.
1985 the Group acquired Tycho Technologies Inc. of USA, manufacturer of upper air windprofiler.
[edit] Vaisala business areas
Vaisala’s core business is environmental measurement, especially weather measurement, and corresponding industrial measurements. Business is conducted by three divisions: Vaisala Measurement Systems,Vaisala Solutions and Vaisala Instruments. The Vaisala Solutions and Vaisala Measurement Systems develop, manufacture and market systems and solutions that are used to measure weather conditions.The Vaisala Instruments specializes in products that measure industrial and environmental conditions in various industrial and meteorological applications.
[edit] Vaisala Instruments
Vaisala Instruments develops, manufactures and markets instruments for the measurement of relative humidity, dewpoint, carbon dioxide, barometric pressure, wind, rain, visibility, cloud height and present weather. The measurements are used to improve product quality, the efficiency of manufacturing processes and energy consumption, as well as the safety and wellbeing of people.
The division's products are targeted at market segments in a variety of applications and industries, such as pharmaceutical, automotive, power, building automation, biotechnology and food industries, as well as meteorology and research. For example, optimum humidity conditions in drying processes improve quality and productivity, and also reduce energy and maintenance costs. Monitoring moisture in oil helps to prevent corrosion and machine malfunction. Carbon dioxide measurement is used in industrial processes, in horticultural and ecological applications as well as in ventilation control. Barometric pressure is an important parameter in weather observation but also in industrial equipment such as laser interferometers and engine test benches. Accurate visibility, wind and cloud height measurements are essential for aviation safety. The multi-sensor weather transmitter is an ideal component for weather stations.
[edit] Vaisala Measurement Systems
Vaisala Measurement Systems develops, manufactures and markets products and systems for upper-air weather observations. The main offering includes radiosondes, dropsondes and ground equipment that receives and processes the weather data they transmit; wind profilers; lightning detection systems; as well as a portfolio of services, such as installation, training, maintenance, consulting and operational support.
The division’s customers include national meteorological services, meteorological and climatological research institutes, defense forces, air quality monitoring agencies, civil aviation authorities, insurance companies and power utilities.
[edit] Vaisala Solutions
Vaisala Solutions offers customer-focused solutions and services for weather observations to meteorological institutes, aviation, road and rail traffic authorities, defense forces, and land and water management authorities.
[edit] Product groups
[edit] Vaisala Instruments
Barometric Pressure, Carbon Dioxide, Cloud Height, Dewpoint, Humidity, Moisture in Oil, Present Weather, Visibility, Weather Multi-Sensor, Wind
[edit] Vaisala Measurement Systems
Soundings, Thunderstorm, Windprofilers
[edit] Vaisala Solutions
Road and Rail Weather, Vaisala Aviation Weather, Vaisala HydroMet
