Passing on the Entrepreneurial Spirit

1960-1970
1970-1980
1980-1990
1990-2000
2000-2010
2010-2020
2020-

1960-1970

1960

Face-to-face meetings, personal contacts and expertise played a major role in building a business.

1962

Family business Murskaussuunnittelu (“Crushing Design”) was founded by Nuutti Vartiainen.
Murskaussuunnittelu designed crushing and screening plants for other construction companies.

1963

Laatusora (“Quality Gravel”) trade name was registered.
Laatusora sold, produced and delivered gravel, sand and landfill. The company also manufactured semi-finished and finished goods for the construction industry and carried out contracting work for excavation.
The most advanced tools in the workshop were a forging hammer and welding equipment.

Laatusora’s gravel pit in Hollola around 1965.

1965

Murskauskone Ky (“Crushing Machine”) was established to manufacture crushing machinery and equipment.
Murskauskone’s first in-house products were industrial conveyors. Murskauskone also produced individual items and prototypes for customer needs, not only mass-produced products.
Customer demand quickly expanded Murskauskone’s business to include after sales services.
One of Murskauskone’s customers was a Finnish mining industry pioneer Outokumpu.

Murskauskone’s headquarters in Salpakangas, Hollola in 1965.

1970-1980

1970-72

Murskaussuunnittelu and Laatusora merged with Murskauskone.
Murskauskone facilities expanded. The company developed expertise and readiness to offer turnkey deliveries.
Murskauskone started designing and manufacturing crushers.

1972

Murskauskone opens an engineering shop in Outokumpu to provide mining, sub-contracting services and products for mines in the region.

Murskauskone’s large design department at the beginning of the 1970s.

1974

Murskauskone company name changed to Roxon – easier for the growing international clientele.
Subsidiary Roxon AB established in Sweden.
Roxon acquired majority shareholding in Lappeenrannan Konepaja Oy.
Roxon and Lappeenrannan Konepaja signed a licensing agreement to manufacture, develop and sell automatic filter presses.

1975

Roxon sales office established in the UK to better serve the local market.
Paraisten Kalkki (Partek) acquired 10% of Roxon’s shares and became a close partner.

1976

Kone Oy acquired 45% of Roxon’s shares. Kone’s subsidiary Härkäkorpi’s conveyor belt business became part of Roxon.
Roxon’s net sales is reaches 50 million FIM (8M€) and the company employs more than 500 people.

Some of the products produced by Lappeenrannan Konepaja Oy and later on by Larox Oy: vacuum filters, pinch valves and pressure filters.

1977

Nuutti Vartiainen sold Roxon’s shares to Kone.
Nuutti Vartiainen left Roxon and acquired the remaining shareholding in Lappeenrannan Konepaja, which then became Larox Oy.
Larox Oy’s mission was to revolutionise the mining industry’s solid-liquid separation and classification of mineral substances.
During the following three years, agent agreements were signed with companies in 17 different countries to expand the network and be able to operate closer to customers.
Larox Oy delivers its first pressure filters that contribute to sales of 12 million FIM (2M€).

1978

Larox Oy’s sales company established in France with Soffco-France SA.
First Master’s thesis completed in direct cooperation with LUT University.

Left: The world famous Nuutinnokka sauna diploma features the original log sauna. During the coming years thousands of visitors received such diploma and they still do today.

Right: Talouselämä magazine wrote an article in 1977 about Roxon being sold to Kone, saying: “Nuutti Vartiainen is widely respected for his dogged and determined entrepreneurial spirit; he is a man of one idea and solid personal relationships. He says ’The pioneering age is never over’.“

1980-1990

1980

Larox Oy’s subsidiary Scantec established in Peru.

1981

Subsidiary Larox Pty Ltd established in Australia
Joint-venture started with Inversiones Mineras to operate a gold and copper mine in Peru.

1982

Subsidiary Larox Inc. established in the USA.

The first Larox Oy’s mine in Peru was situated near Arequipa.

1983

Timo Vartiainen joins Outokumpu Equipment in Canada that represents Larox Oy. After one year in Canada, he moved to the USA where he worked for Larox Oy’s American subsidiary for 4 years.
Katariina Aaltonen also starts to work for Larox Oy.
Close cooperation started with LUT University in language studies. Some language classes were even held in Larox Oy’s basement that was repurposed as a state-of-the-art phonetics and speech classroom equipped with modern booths, headphones and microphones to practice pronunciation.
Cooperation with LUT also meant that several LUT graduates were hired to the company.

Katariina Aaltonen boating with her daughter Henriikka in the 1980s.

1984

Larox Oy was awarded with the annual Entrepreneur Award by the Lappeenranta Businessmen’s Association in recognition of the company’s rapid growth. Larox Oy’s turnover had doubled in just four years to 42 million FIM (7M€).

1985

Subsidiary Larox GmbH established in Germany to strengthen the presence in German-speaking market.
Subsidiary Larox AB established in Sweden.
A silver, lead and zinc mine purchased in Peru.

1986

Acquisition of shareholding in an Austrian company Lindeberg Gesellschaft.
Larox Oy receives the Finnish President’s Export Award.

Heikki Kupias joins Larox Oy as Foreman of its workshop in early eighties.

1987

Larox Oy’s mining operations are underway at the Peruvian mine. The mine was also used for R&D work and a new quarrying technique was developed at the mine in the late 1980’s.
Nuutti Vartiainen is awarded with LUT Medal of Honour number 19 in recognition of his many years of activity in the field, representing local industry and successful cooperation between the Larox Oy and the LUT.

1988

Timo Vartiainen returns to Finland and becomes Vice President and Marketing Director of Larox Oy
Larox Oy’s shares were listed in Helsinki Stock Exchange.

1989

Larox Oy premises expansion started – the company had shifted from a component supplier to supplying entire lines.
A new Larox Oy R&D center opened in Lappeenranta.
Representation agreement signed with Metex for the Polish, Czechoslovakian and Hungarian markets.
New hydraulic pressure filter series is launched.

Nuutti Vartiainen at the Trujillo mine holding chunks of ore in 1987.

1990-2000

1990

Capillary Oy established by Vartiainen family. This is a parent company through which the owners invest into several businesses over time.
Timo Vartiainen becomes President of Larox Oy.
Nuutti Vartiainen acts as R&D Director of Larox Oy on a fixed-term basis. He also becomes Chairman of the Board of Larox Oy, taking over from his wife Tyyne.
Heikki Kupias joins Larox Oy as Head of Sourcing.
Subsidiary established in Chile to strengthen the presence in an important mining area.
Larox Inc. to represent Canada and Mexico.
Larox Oy’s turnover reaches 120 million FIM (20M€)

Timo Vartiainen in Larox Flowsys Oy’s office in mid-nineties.

1991

Larox Oy’s UK sales office promoted to subsidiary.
Subsidiary Larox Southern Africa Pty established in South Africa to offer local support and service.
Metex’ Polish representation replaced by Larox B.T.I. sales office.
Larox Oy received it’s biggest ever order from China, 35 million FIM (6M€).

1991-1994

Nuutti Vartiainen acts as Chairman of the board of the LUT University’s Research Foundation.

1992

Katariina Aaltonen becomes CFO of Larox Oy.
The new slogan “Separates the best from the rest” represented the shift towards focus on solid-liquid separation.
Classification business discontinued.

Group photo with the new slogan in the background

1993

Larox Oy started a joint venture in China with the China National Non-Ferrous Metals Industry Corporation (CNNC).
Several new products launched along with a new pressure filter.
Larox Flowsys Oy established to separate pinch valve product line to its own company.
Jukka Aaltonen becomes CEO and Member of the Board of Larox Flowsys Oy.
Timo Vartiainen becomes Member of the Board of Larox Oy and Chairman of the Board of Larox Flowsys Oy
Katariina Aaltonen becomes Member of the Board of Larox Oy.

1994

Large development project between LUT and Larox Oy concerning robot welding.

Timo Vartiainen continues Nuutti’s legacy by chairing the Research Foundation of LUT.

Newspaper article featuring Jukka Aaltonen, CEO and Member of the Board of Larox Flowsys Oy.

1995

Larox Oy’s R&D center opened in Lappeenranta, housing a valve laboratory for Larox Flowsys Oy’s R&D purposes.

1996

Subsidiary Larox B.T.I. established in Poland that developed from a previous sales office with a goal to expand the customer support activities in the area.
French, British and German subsidiaries combined into Larox Europe GmbH.

1997

Center of Separation Technology (CST) established at LUT University.
Larox Oy donated 1.5 million FIM (250.000€) to LUT University which ensured a solid-liquid separation professorship at CST/LUT University for five years.
Katariina Aaltonen becomes Member of the Board of Larox Flowsys Oy.

In 1999 Nuutti Vartiainen was awarded an honorary doctorship in technology by LUT University.

1997

Timo Vartiainen becomes Chairman of the board of CST (and holds the position until 2020).

1998

Larox Oyj becomes global representative for Scheibler filters.
Larox Oyj’s Chinese joint-venture discontinued.

1999

LUT University awarded Nuutti Vartiainen with honorary doctorate in Engineering.
Nuutti Vartiainen retires.
Larox Oyj’s sales office opened in Zambia.

Nuutti Vartiainen retired from business activites in 1999.

2000-2010

2000

Timo Vartiainen becomes a full-time Chairman of the Board of Larox Oyj. Katariina Aaltonen steps down from the CFO position at Larox Oyj. Toivo Matti Karppanen was appointed President and CEO of Larox Oyj. He was the first outside hire in the President and CEO position. From this time on, senior family members focus on top-level planning and decision-making positions within Board of Directors.
Larox Oyj launched new series of filters for mining and metallurgical industries.
Larox Oyj’s turnover reached 60M€.

2000-2009

Numerous research and development projects together with LUT University.

Larox Flowsys Oy moved to new facilities but remained in Lappeenranta, its hometown.

2001

Larox Flowsys Oy moved to new facilities in Lappeenranta.
Kauppalehti (Finland’s commerce-oriented newspaper) published a list of most successful companies in each Finnish region. Larox Flowsys Oy was included in this list for South Karelia. At the time, Larox Flowsys Oy had 35 employees and net sales of over 41 million FIM (6,8M€)

2002

Larox Oyj acquired Scheibler Filters Ltd.
Larox Flowsys Oy’s US subsidiary Larox Flowsys Inc. established to establish a strong presence in the American market.
New kind of hose pump developed and introduced to the Larox Flowsys Oy’s product portfolio.

2003

New Larox Oyj pressure filter introduced to the pharmaceuticals industry.
Heikki Kupias becomes Member of the Board of Larox Flowsys Oy

Valve World magazine published an article about Larox Flowsys Oy and featured it on its cover page.

2004

Acquisition of Outokumpu Technology’s filter business. Larox Oyj doubled its turnover to more than 100 M€.
Larox Oyj and its subsidiaries had 460 employees.
Timo Vartiainen is awarded with LUT University Medal of Honour number #54 for development of cooperation between industry and university.
Timo Vartiainen is elected chairman of the board of LUT University foundation.

2005

Larox Oyj’s subsidiary established in Brazil which expands the presence and local customer service in the continent.
Nuutti Vartiainen receives Medal of Merit #37 awarded by the Finnish Association of Mining and Metallurgical Engineers for a long and worthy career in the service of the Finnish mining and metallurgical industry as founder and president of Murskauskone, Roxon and Larox Oyj.

Timo and Nuutti Vartiainen at Vuorimiespäivät in 2005,
an annual event an annual event of Finnish Mining Association.

2006

Dosing pump introduced to Larox Flowsys Oy’s hose pump portfolio.

2007

Larox Oyj donated solid liquid separation professorship to CST/LUT University for five years.
Nuutti Vartiainen donated 1 M€ to the University foundation.
The history book Sorakuopalta maailman ääriin (“From a Gravel Pit to the Ends of the World”) was published. Written by Outi Salovaara, the book tells the story of Nuutti Vartiainen and Larox. The publication is noted as the first comprehensive written history of the Vartiainen family’s industrial operations.

2008

Larox Oyj acquired Turku Ceramics, a manufacturer of ceramic disc elements.
Acquisition of JFD Pumps Rotors Oy brought pump service to Larox Flowsys Oy’s portfolio.
Jukka Aaltonen steps down as Larox Flowsys Oy’s CEO

Left: The iconic Nuutinnokka cottage

Right: The history book Sorakuopalta maailman ääriin (“From a Gravel Pit to the Ends of the World”)

2009

Heikki Hyttinen is appointed as President and CEO of Larox Flowsys Oy. The family continues to appoint non-family members to this position.
Larox Flowsys Oy acquired Destasol, a centrifugal pump service company.
Knife gate valves introduced to the Larox Flowsys Oy’s product portfolio.
Larox Oyj opened a production plant in China.
The family announced their plan to sell Larox Oyj‘s shares to Outotec Oyj.

Timo Vartiainen awarding a Sauna diploma to a Nuutinnokka guest

2010-2020

2010

Larox Oyj was sold to Outotec Oyj. During its history, Larox Oyj became market leader in its field. Larox Oyj and its subsidiaries had more than 600 employees and net turnover of around 200 M€. More than 3500 Larox Oyj filters operate in more than 50 countries.
Capillary Oy acquired Larox Oyj’s shares of Larox Flowsys Oy.
Since the acquisition, Larox brand is the property of Outotec Oyj.
Larox Flowsys Oy’s Australian subsidiary Larox Flowsys Pty Ltd established and contributed to better customer support coverage across the globe.

2011

South African subsidiary Larox Flowsys (Pty) Ltd established.

Company name changed from Larox Flowsys Oy to Flowrox Oy.

Materia magazine wrote an article about family’s business history after Larox Oyj was sold to Outotec Oyj.

2011

Timo Vartiainen and Heikki Kupias continue in their roles in Flowrox Oy’s Board of Directors. Katariina Aaltonen steps down as Member of the Board of Flowrox Oy. Ilkka Mujunen and Jyrki Uurtio are appointed as Members of the Board who are not part of the family owners.
Progressive cavity pumps introduced to the Flowrox Oy’s portfolio.
Vartiainen family donated 1.6 M€ to LUT University.
Pietari Kupias does his BSc Industrial Design thesis project in relation to designing a valve product family for Flowrox Oy. During that time, he works for Flowrox Oy for approximately a year until the completion of the project.

2012

New premises for LUT University chemical department and CST opened. The new building is named “Vartiainen”.
LUT University awards Timo Vartiainen with a honorary doctorate.

LUT University awarded Timo Vartiainen with a honorary doctorate in 2012. Timo (left) and Nuutti (right) Vartiainen.

2013

Petteri Vartiainen moves to USA and starts working for Flowrox Inc., the American subsidiary.
Russian and Chinese subsidiaries Flowrox LLC and Flowrox Co. Ltd. established.
Professor for mixing, flow control and pumping nominated at LUT University.

Left: Petteri Vartiainen spent 6 years in the USA, working for the American subsidiary of Flowrox Oy.
Right: Pietari Kupias did his BSc Industrial Design thesis project in relation to designing a valve product family for Flowrox Oy

2015

Jukka Koskela was appointed President and CEO of Flowrox Oy. Following senior family members’ decision to focus on top-level roles, he is also an outside hire.
Pulsation dampeners introduced to the product portfolio.
Flowrox Oy and its subsidiaries have 130 employees.
Decision to enter filtration business was made.
Flowrox Oy’s turnover reached 33 M€.

2016

Digital services became part of Flowrox Oy’s offering.

2017

The founding father Nuutti Vartiainen passes away.
Timo Vartiainen donated 100.000€ to LUT University.
Acquisition of Spare Parts Depot Inc. was the first big step towards re-entering filter business.
Packaged pumping systems introduced to the Flowrox Oy’s product portfolio.

Timo Vartiainen donated 100.000 € to LUT University – one of the many donations made throughout the years of successful cooperation.

2017

Nuutti’s children Timo Vartiainen, Karoliina Kupias and Katariina Aaltonen (second generation) retain 10 % shares of the family’s company Capillary Oy. They pass on the rest 90 % among their children, the third generation: Noora and Petteri Vartiainen, Pietari, Pyry and Roope Kupias and Henriikka, Matias and Matilda Aaltonen
Pyry Kupias moves to Australia where he starts working full time for Flowrox Oy’s Australian subsidiary
Matias Aaltonen starts working for Flowrox Oy.

2018

Chilean and Swedish subsidiaries Flowrox SpA and Flowrox AB established.
Acquisition of NovaTek Filtration AB strengthened the Flowrox Oy’s filtration portfolio with filter presses.
Flowrox Oy’s portfolio also expanded to ceramic disc filters, smart filtration and mobile geotextile dewatering units.

Roxia Ceramic Disc Filter^TM

2019

Petteri Vartiainen returns to Finland from the USA.
Petteri Vartiainen and Pietari Kupias join the Board of Directors of Flowrox Oy as representatives of the third generation of the company owners.
Roope Kupias starts working full time as Test Engineer for Flowrox Oy.
Pyry Kupias returns to Finland from Australia and starts working as Technical Product Manager, Environmental Technologies for Flowrox Oy.
The third generation starts attending the Lappeenranta University of Technology’s business management training program that they complete during the next two years.
Jukka Koskela succeeds Timo Vartiainen as Chairman of the LUT Centre for Separation Technology (CST) after Vartiainen’s 23 years in the position.

Flowrox Oy’s main office building in wintery Lappeenranta.

2019

Peruvian subsidiary Flowrox SAC established to strengthen the presence and customer service in South America.
Acquisition of Polar-Automaatio Oy strengthened Flowrox Oy’s automation expertise.
Industrial automation, centrifugal pumps, plasma technology for water purification and smart filter presses introduced into product and service offering.

Left: Pyry Kupias moved to Australia in 2017 to work for Australian subsidiary of Flowrox Oy.
Right: When Roope Kupias first joined Flowrox Oy, he was working as Test Engineer.

2020-

2020

Tower presses introduced to the Flowros Oy’s product portfolio.
Flowrox Oy and its subsidiaries grew their numbers to 219 employees.

2021

Matias Aaltonen joins the Board of Directors as third representative of the third generation.
Roope Kupias starts working in a new role as Quality and Expediting Specialist for Flowrox Oy.
German subsidiary Flowrox GmbH established which strengthens company’s ability to offer better customer support in Central Europe.
Aerators introduced to the Flowrox Oy’s product portfolio.

Flowrox Oy’s brand, pump and valve businesses sold to Neles Oyj.

2021

Flowrox Oy’s brand, pump and valve businesses sold to Neles Oyj. Flowrox brand became property of Neles Oyj.
The company name changed from Flowrox Oy to Roxia Oy.
Timo Vartiainen, Heikki Kupias, Petteri Vartiainen, Pietari Kupias and Matias Aaltonen continue in their roles in Roxia Oy’s Board of Directors. Additional board members outside the family were Matti Tarvainen and Mikko Hirvensalo
Roxia Oy’s turnover was 46 M€.

2022

Operations and Organization

Roxia’s headquarters is located on the LUT University campus in Skinnarila, Lappeenranta.
The service and spare parts center in Myllymäki also includes a laboratory for test filtration and environmental technologies.
The company maintains additional facilities in Tornio, Keminmaa, and Vantaa. The first tower presses are manufactured in the Karhula Industrial Park.
Capillary Oy purchases land next to Lappeenranta Airport to build new facilities for Roxia and bring all Lappeenranta‑based personnel together.
Pietari Kupias becomes Managing Director and Petteri Vartiainen becomes Chairman of the Board of Capillary Oy.

International Expansion and Strategic Actions

Roxia operates nine foreign subsidiaries in Australia, Chile, South Africa, China, Peru, Sweden, Germany, Russia, and the United States.
The company acquires 50% of the German filter manufacturer Aquachem and launches the Tower Press TP 16 filter as part of its expanding product portfolio.
Due to the war in Ukraine, Roxia closes its Moscow subsidiary, while simultaneously strengthening its global presence by establishing a new subsidiary in the United Arab Emirates

Chairman of the Board Timo Vartiainen, CEO Matti Riihimäki, and Chief Technology Officer Jukka Koskela in Roxia’s test facilities.

2023

The Finnish Association of Mining and Metallurgical Engineers awards Timo Vartiainen the Bronze Eero Mäkinen Medal No. 67 in recognition of his valuable work for Finland’s mining industry and the association.
Jukka Koskela becomes Chairman of the Board of the LUT Centre for Separation Technology.
Roope Kupias joins Roxia’s Scandinavian sales team.
A subsidiary is established in Kazakhstan to support growth in the region’s mining sector.

2024

Matti Riihimäki becomes CEO of Roxia Oy in August 2024.
Jukka Koskela transitions to the role of Chief Technology Officer at Roxia.
After 23 years of dedicated service, Timo Vartiainen concludes his long tenure as Chairman of the Board of the Lappeenranta–Lahti University of Technology Support Foundation, leaving a significant and lasting contribution to the university community.
The President of the Republic, Alexander Stubb, awards Timo Vartiainen the Knight’s Cross of the Order of the Lion of Finland.
The Outokumpu Mining Museum celebrates the Larox PF filter, to which Larox PF filter number 196 was donated. This highlights the importance of the companies founded by the Vartiainen family as key equipment suppliers to Finland’s mining industry.
The environmental business is incorporated as a separate company, Vuoxi Oy, with majority ownership transferred to Capillary Oy.
Roxia’s office relocates from Skinnarila to the center of Lappeenranta.

Honors presented to Timo Vartiainen for his contributions to Finland’s mining industry.

2025

Roxia Automation is sold to Caverion Suomi Oy. After the sale, Roxia becomes a company focused purely on filtration technologies, offering customers a wide range of filtration solutions along with after-sales and spare parts services, further strengthening the company’s strategic direction.
Roxia announces a new slogan: Filtration Performance – Powered by People.
The Separation Technology Department of Lappeenranta–Lahti University of Technology celebrates its 50th anniversary. The Vartiainen family and the companies they founded—Larox, Flowrox, and Roxia—have been strong supporters of the department for nearly 50 years.

The book 50 Years of Separation Science in LUT, marking 50 years of separation science achievements at LUT.

Passing on the Entrepreneurial Spirit

1960-1970

1970-1980

1980-1990

1990-2000

2000-2010

2010-2020

2020-

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