Grundfos Supplier Award for Finnish Company

Grundfos some years ago made a partnership agreement with Outokumpu, including an agreement to deliver copper materials from a store room close to Grundfos HQ in Bjerringbro, Denmark. This makes Grundfos' production planning very flexible, as the pump company can draw precisely the amount of raw materials required from the store room every day and consequently the Finnish supplier has close to 100% ability to deliver.

This does not harm the quality of the materials. Grundfos Purchase Manager, Niels Qvortrup: “When we find small defects on a coil or a profile, it very rarely takes more than a few days for the supplier to find the cause of the defect and present an adjustment plan excluding similar defects in future. Outokumpu takes even small quality problems very seriously.”

Certified according to the EMAS registration, Outokumpu has clear politics regarding the reduction of pollution, which is a factor Grundfos strongly emphasises when selecting suppliers. Outokumpu is one of the world's leading suppliers of raw materials with an annual turnover of 6 billion Euro and 21,000 staff in 40 countries around the world.

Headquartered in Espoo, Finland, the Group is partly owned by the Finnish State, with 39.6% of company shares, partly by foundations and private investors. At the award ceremony, taking place at Grundfos HQ on 24 September, Outokumpu was represented by Sales and Marketing Director, Matti Karttunen of subsidiary company Outokumpu Poricopper OY EPC, delivering copper profiles to Grundfos, and General Manager, Rauno Peltonen of Outokumpu Poricopper OY IAP, delivering copper plates, bands and coils. In addition Branch Manager, Tommy Andersen of Outokumpu's Danish company was present at the award ceremony. In 2002 Outokumpu delivered goods worth 2.7m Euro to Grundfos.