THE STORY OF RAUMASTER

Raumaster was founded on April 29, 1984 by Jukka Ruohola, Kauko Einälä, Juhani Rasilainen, Esko Saarela and Jouko Mäkilä. The five founders also formed the company board, with Kauko Einälä elected as Chair. Juhani Rasilainen was appointed as the first Managing Director.

Now, more than 40 years later, Jouko Mäkilä still serves as Group President. Jukka Ruohola’s son, Jarkko, began his tenure as Chair of the Board in the summer of 2022.

At the beginning, the company used the working title “Convera” as a name. Another suggestion was “Convecto”. However, neither name met the requirements of the Finnish Patent and Registration Office at the time. The founders were informed of this over the phone, and during that same call, they decided on “Raumaster”, which was then also approved by the PRO.

None of the founding members remember for certain whose idea the name was initially, but they were pleased with it: « It simply means the masters from Rauma. »

In 1984, the founders of Raumaster Oy were granted a loan by a bank to cover various initial acquisitions and wages. As was common at the time, the owners pledged their own homes as collateral for the loan. Two different budgets were drawn up for the bank: one based on the company functioning as a five-man engineering office, and the other of the company as an employer of around 15 professionals.

The first employee outside of the board was hired in September 1984. Now, more than 40 years later, Raumaster Group employs nearly 500 professionals. Throughout the four decades, around 1,000 individual employment contracts have been made. The Group recruits new talent to join their ranks every year.

The first Raumaster office was located at Rautatienkatu 3 in Rauma, Finland. The founders renovated the space, formerly owned by a plastics plant, themselves during evenings and weekends, as their period of notice still kept them at work with their previous employer.

Since 1987, the Group Head Office has been located on Nortamonkatu in Rauma. The parent company also has branches in Sampaanala in Rauma, Ylöjärvi in central Finland and Tallinn in Estonia.

Raumaster Paper Oy has offices both in Rauma and Pori in Western Finland. The subsidiary company Raumaster AB operates in Hallstahammar, Sweden.

Raumaster received its very first order in July 1984, when the company delivered a grain dust screw reclaimer for the Suomen Sokeri Oy Salo mill. After engineering and component acquisition, the reclaimer was manufactured by subcontractor Kollan Teräsrakenne.

Over its four decades, Raumaster has delivered more than 3,500 projects globally. The first-ever delivery, the screw reclaimer, was sourced back by the company in 2006 and placed by the main entrance of the Group Head Office on Nortamonkatu.

Raumaster’s first ever client was the sugar company Suomen Sokeri Oy. During the first year, the company established cooperation with companies such as Yhtyneet Paperitehtaat, Veitsiluoto, Rauma-Repola and A. Ahlström. All of these companies, in their modern forms, remain Raumaster customers. 

Throughout its four decades, Raumaster has worked with a total of more than 1,500 customers on six continents – Europe, Asia, Africa, North and South America, and Australia.

Raumaster’s first international project delivery was ordered by A. Ahlström, involving ash conveyors for recovery boilers in Mariinski Posad, Soviet Union. In the following year, conveyor systems were delivered for the Norrsundets Bruk plant in Sweden.

Over the past four decades, Raumaster has completed projects in more than 70 different countries, with the majority of these destinations located in Europe and Asia.

The past 40 years have seen numerous significant events, including the depression of the early 1990s, recessions, the COVID-19 pandemic, and Russia’s attack on Ukraine. These events have impacted everyday working life at Raumaster in numerous ways.

Despite these global challenges, Raumaster has never experienced an unprofitable financial year in the past four decades and has never had to lay off any staff.

Today, Raumaster Group comprises five companies operating across three countries. At the core is Raumaster Oy, the parent company, as well as subsidiaries Raumaster Paper Oy and Raumaster AB, which work in close collaboration. Raumaster Paper delivers expert solutions for the paper and board industries, while Raumaster AB provides high-quality service and maintenance in Sweden.

Two related companies, Ketjurauma Oy and AS Rauameister, bring additional expertise and act as trusted suppliers. Ketjurauma, based in Rauma, Finland, manufactures premium welded and riveted conveyor chains for demanding industrial conditions. Rauameister, located in Võru, Estonia, operates as a specialised industrial workshop.

In 2025, Raumaster stands as a world-leading technology company, firmly rooted in its 40-year legacy. With more than 500 employees and an annual turnover of €170 million, Raumaster ranks among Finland’s 500 largest companies, also maintaining a strong local presence and influence. 

The company proudly carries forward the vision of its founders, now represented by three generations of shareholders. Modern leadership remains committed to Raumaster’s core values: Customer Value, Customer-Driven Innovation, Trust, Openness & Excellence and Competent & Dedicated Employees.