The former managing director Erkki Hanhirova has become group president, and the company has appointed a new managing director, Jussi Yli-Niemi. Yli-Niemi was previously a general manager of Outokumpu Tornio steel melting and hot rolling plant.

“The changes in the corporate group ownership and management that have taken place in December are an essential part of the Havator Group growth strategy,” Hanhirova said. “Our goal is to be the leading company in our sector and to serve our customers better than ever.”

“At present, the Havator Group has three strong cornerstones for its operations in Finland, Sweden and Norway. Our goal in the near future is to develop a fourth cornerstone out of our business in Russia,” Hanhirova said in a separate statement.

In September 2006, the company signed a cooperation with Russian forwarding and logistics company NEK Group.

At the end of August, it bought Finnish lifting firm Lapin Nosturipalvelu.

In February 2006 Havator acquired Norwegian special transport firm Kuljetusneliö, and in July bought 100 Goldhofer PST/SL-E wheelsets.

The company has just published Strong Will – Havator Group 1956-2006, a 240-page hardbound history of the company.

With the acquisitions, Havator’s 2005 net sales were Eur 60m. The company employs 350 people.