Building the Future in Canada

07/09/2020

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Lumon tells the story of expanding operations to Canada at a recent event in Toronto with Finnish dignitaries

Lumon Canada’s CEO, Olli Vänskä, recently welcomed a Finnish delegation at Lumon’s Canadian headquarters in Vaughan. The group, which included the Finnish Ambassador to Canada, Vesa Lehtonen, and the Finnish Minister of Labour, Jari Lindstrӧm, was touring through Canada to strengthen economic relations between the two countries. At the event, Vänskä shared the company’s experience with launching and maintaining their operations in Canada.

Lumon has been conducting business in Canada since 2011. Founded in Finland in 1978, the company’s innovative products have transformed the Finnish building industry and made Lumon the world leader in manufacturing and installing balcony glazing systems, balcony railings, and sunrooms. In the past forty years, Lumon has expanded to more than 20 countries around the world, and Canada has become one of the largest subsidiaries in the Lumon Group. A Canadian production facility was opened in 2015 to serve the company’s growing customer base across many provinces. Vänskä has been the CEO of Canadian operations since the start.

Lehtonen and Lindstrӧm were keen to hear from Vänskä about Lumon’s experience. As the Finnish ambassador, Lehtonen is tasked with promoting close ties between the two countries. He is also the Chair of Team Finland in Canada, a network to create economic growth and strengthen international relations. Part of the network’s strategy involves the internationalization of Finnish companies such as Lumon, whose expanding operations around the world help to consolidate those bonds.

The internationalization of companies also has benefits from a labour perspective, which is Minister Lindstrӧm’s area of responsibility. For example, Lumon’s expansion has created new jobs in many countries and industries, as relationships with suppliers and subcontractors are established in each new country—not to mention the company’s own employees. In Canada alone, Lumon’s growth has been substantial; the company began with just two employees in 2011 and now employs around 85-90.

Minister Lindstrӧm was curious about the process of finding new employees in Canada, and Vänskä noted that at times it has been a challenge for the growing company. Canada has a competitive job market, particularly in the booming construction industry where skilled labour is in high demand. At the same time, Vänskä said, skilled employees are an important part of ensuring the consistent high quality that Lumon is known for around the world with its sunroom and balcony glazing products.

Lumon’s high standards dictated their initial course of action when they expanded operations to Canada, where they immediately sought certification from the Canadian Construction Materials Centre. CCMC puts products through rigorous testing to determine their suitability for the Canadian market, and as Vänskä says, “it was important to us that we met all local industry standards before doing business here.” Through CCMC, the balcony glazing system underwent more than ten different tests in the Greater Toronto Area and received certification.

CCMC’s tests supported the positive results of extensive research done in Finland, where Lumon balcony glazing has been proven to lower energy usage, prevent balcony deterioration, reduce noise by 50%, and withstand winds up to 300 km/h—an important consideration given the wind load on Canadian high-rise buildings. The CCMC approval adds to Lumon’s existing certifications, including ISO standards for quality assurance and environmental consideration, OHSAS certification for occupational health and safety, and the CE mark for quality in Europe.

As Vänskä shared with Ambassador Lehtonen and Minister Lindstrӧm, Lumon’s steady international growth and strong focus on quality are both in keeping with the company’s values, particularly their emphasis on building the future. As Lumon continues to grow in Canada and around the world, producing high-quality balcony products and cultivating a safe and positive work environment will remain high priorities for this industry leader.

Lumon Canada Inc. is a world leader in frameless retractable balcony glazing systems and balcony railings, with operations in more than 20 countries.

For a copy of Lumon’s CCMC report and company certification, or for other tests and certificates, please get in touch with us.