National Entrepreneur Award 2022 for Norrhydro

The award has been established in 1968 by the Federation of Finnish Enterprises and Fennia Insurance Company. The purpose of the award is to improve the appreciation of entrepreneurship in Finland.

The jury's reasons for choosing Norrhydro included the following:

• Profitable high-skilled company 
• A great company story built from Rovaniemi, where research collaboration plays an important role  
• An entrepreneurial company, even though it recently went public. The IPO was an excellent way to seek more capital 
• The only public listed company in Rovaniemi 
• New production facility in Rovaniemi during these times 
• The company has a strong development approach, as evidenced by the development unit next to the University of Tampere 

Norrhydro was founded more than 35 years ago by the company's employees at the time to replace the company that filed for bankruptcy. The current CEO and Chairman of the Board, Yrjö Trög, was not involved in the founding of the company himself but was a member of the company's board of directors.

At that time, the company also manufactured forestry machines and cranes, but little by little the focus was on hydraulic cylinders and controlling linear motion. Through which, the company has also achieved its growth," says Trög.

 Responsibility in every aspect of the company

– We want to develop products that are environmentally friendly and energy efficient, Trög says. The digital motion control solutions developed by the company help significantly to reduce the emissions and the environmental load of heavy-duty mobile machines.

In the newly completed production facility, environmental issues have been considered big time. Solar cells on the roof of the building are utilised for energy production, and the waste heat generated by the production is recycled.

According to Trög, the aim is to minimise the burden on the environment in all operations. A certified environmental management system monitors how materials are recycled and waste is reduced.

Norrhydro also strives for responsibility in its operations locally and as an employer.

"We are a significant industrial operator and employer in Rovaniemi regionally. We want our occupational safety to be the top level and also develop as a workplace," says Trög.

"The entrepreneur award means a lot to me as an entrepreneur, but it also belongs to the company, employees and stakeholders. I see the award as an honorable mention to our entire network, Trög says.