A History of Outokumpu

Markku Kuisma

ISBN 10: 9529507003 / ISBN 13: 9789529507009

Published by Outokumpu, 72, 1989

About this Item

Text in English. 240 pp. Faded spine. The rapid development of Finland's unique technology-based economy, which emerged within this century from a basically agrarian system, has been at least partially the result of intense pressure to compete with the older and larger industrial powers within special areas of competence. Thus, the story of Outokumpu, a mining company that was born in the backwoods of Karelia, is a slice of Finnish history that does much to illuminate this small Nordic nation's highly successful emergence as a presence in world commerce Take the simple fact that most shoppers around the world recognize and trust the quality of Finnish stainless steel, or the fact that Outokumpu high conductivity oxygen-free copper is specified for construction of practically any particle accelerator or plasma research device This is powerful testimony to the position of Outokumpu metal products as leaders in a number of significant and fiercely competitive fields. As is often the case, the story of the growth of a successful industry, in a world where most business ventures are doomed to failure, reveals the vision and determination of one man. Such a man was Eero Mäkinen, a mining engineer whose vision of the promise that lay in the great Outokumpu copper deposit was pursued relentlessly until he saw it brought to fruition in a fully integrated mine-to-mill industrial giant. More than once, he prevailed over adversaries who would have sold the operation to outside exploitation, and in so doing end the promise of a unique Finnish opportunity and the realization of a long-cherished dream. Today the Outokumpu Group has operations in 20 countries around the world, and is one of the world's leading base metal producers. Versatility has become a hallmark, with operations extending through all aspects of mineral exploration, mining and ore processing to the refining of copper, zinc, nickel, cobalt, chromium and precious metals, Outokumpu produces a globally significant share of copper and copper alloy products as well as stainless steels, and Group operations include the development and marketing of a wide array of equipment, electronics, and technical expertise.

Seller Inventory # 4514

Bibliographic Details

• Title: A History of Outokumpu
• Publisher: Outokumpu, 72
• Publication Date: 1989
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 9529507003
• ISBN 13: 9789529507009
• Binding: Hardcover
• Condition: Near Fine
• Dust Jacket Condition: Very Good
• Seller catalogs:
  • Technology
  • Business & Economics

About this title

Synopsis

Outokumpu's mining operations were small-scale in the early years, but once the ownership was transferred to the Finnish State in 1925, new opportunities opened up. A modern electric smelting plant was built in Imatra in 1935. The company built a metal works in Pori to refine raw copper and manufacture semi-finished products. During the war, the smelter in Imatra was moved to Harjavalta in 1944. With new ore discoveries, mining operations grew and led to the start-up of zinc, cobalt and nickel works. In the 1940s, a shortage of electricity forced Outokumpu to seek ways to decrease its electricity consumption. This led to the birth of the flash smelting process - which turned out to be one of the most revolutionary inventions in metallurgy. Many new smelting plants all over the world adopted this new method. The company turned its technology expertise into a new business, which eventually led to the listing of Outokumpu Technology in 2006 and to the birth of Outotec. Outokumpu started down the road toward stainless steel in 1960 when a chrome ore deposit was discovered in Kemi. The construction of a ferrochrome smelter in Tornio, combined with the nickel works in Harjavalta, provided Outokumpu with the key raw materials for stainless steel. Tornio's steel melt shop and cold rolling mill started up in 1976.