HISTORY
1950 - 1960
Närpes Trä & Metall was founded on 27.4.1950 by Lennart Nordin together with Sigurd Lärka.
NTM, Närpes´ first and today largest modern engineering industry, saw its light. In the beginning, the wooden products dominated because the metal side manufactured agricultural accessories, as well as repaired machines and cars. For a time, buses were also manufactured at NTM. In the mid-1950s, bodybuilding expanded. In 1954, the first car cabinet was delivered and the series production of cabinets in NTM was the first in Finland to build refrigerators and freezers.
In 1961, the first trailer was sold for export to Sweden and Norway in 1969. Since then, exports have been continuous. The culmination of the then production was reached in the 1960s. A total of Order intake for refrigerators and freezers increased rapidly during the 1960s, among the larger buyers are Paulig,Valio and Kesko. A significant stage in the development was in 1968 when NTM was the first in the country to introduce a self-supporting frame construction for trucks. They began to tailor units to the different needs of customers. 1968 was also the year when Lennart Nordin became the sole shareholder in the company. At NTM's Annual General Meeting in 1969, the family business was a fact.
1970
The beginning of the 1970s is characterized by a strong boom and NTM's sales rose significantly.
For example, cargo handling equipment for shipping, so-called Ro-ro trailers, became a significant part of sales These were of such good quality that they were sold all over the world, e.g. Greece, Cuba, Liechtenstein, Norway, Germany. For a few years, the production was so large that the factory area was occasionally almost filled with trailers while waiting for delivery. During the 1970s, the area of the workshop building was expanded with two factory halls, a total of 4,600 square meters. This could largely be financed with income from the previously mentioned roll trailers. In the late summer of 1975, the first RCV was manufactured for Förenade Renhållare Ab in Gävle, Sweden. However, the start of garbage truck production was quite modest, only about 20 garbage trucks were manufactured during the second half of the 70s. Other milestones in the 70s were 1976 when the fiberglass bodies were introduced and -77 when the cabinets had fully openable sides.
1980
Turnover increased sharply and multiplied during the 1980s, as did the number of employees.
Throughout the 1980s, production consisted mainly of trailer and car superstructures. In 1983, electricity and hydraulics were renewed on the new rear loaded RCV models. The new construction was well received and exports to Sweden increased. The vehicles are tailored to the customer's requirements, they are now equipped with compartments for different types of waste and containers for special was. Electronic development progressed and in the mid-1980s the first welding robot and the following year the first CNC lathe were acquired. In 1989, Lennart Nordin retires due to age and Kurt-Erik Nordin becomes the new CEO.
1990
The decade is strongly marked by the recession in the early 1990s.
NTM is recovering from the crisis and economic growth in Finland began in the mid-1990s. NTM starts exports in earnest and Närpes Släp Ab, which was founded in 1992, starts selling the company's trailers and car bodywork. The company Närpes Släp Ab then changed its name to NTM Sverige Ab The importance of RCVs for NTM increased significantly during the late 90s. Environmental thinking reaches a new level and NTM responds by meeting demand with a new generation of RCVs. Production begins with the manufacturing of side-loading RCVs with a pendulum compactor These cars can empty a waste bin in 10 seconds while the driver is in the car. Another special RCV that is manufactured is equipped with a front loader and intended for bulky waste from e.g industry. The handling in this RCV is computerized and equipped with cameras to facilitate various work steps. RCVs are sold directly from the factory to the largest customers in Sweden. In 1999, NTM is the largest in sales of new RCVs in Sweden. Exports to Denmark began in the early 1990s, mainly RCVs. In 1996, a sales office and a workshop were opened in Tallinn
2000s
Sales of RCVs are taking off in earnest and in 2005 sales bypass the trailer side.
The first four-compartment unit Quatro sees the light of day and the production of trailers and gearboxes for combined transport by rail begins. In the 2010s, internationalization on the sanitation side takes big steps forward and subsidiaries are started in the United Kingdom, Germany, Poland, Russia and Canada. Sales of trailers begin in Denmark. Sales collaboration begins with VDL, Cappellotto, Schwarze and Krone. NTM also takes over KH-Tec's operations with cassette combinations for gravel transports. The company's management system is ISO-certified according to the standards for quality, environment and working environment. A new head office with a canteen and spaces for the aftermarket was completed in 2020. The aftermarket function with spare parts sales and service is growing and has become a large and important part of our business. LEAN work begins in 2017, starting on the production side and is today a pronounced and important part of our strategy within the entire Group.
NTM TODAY
The small, busy family company NTM in Gottböle has become a multinational group with the world as its field of work.
NTM is well-established as the leading supplier of the types of truck superstructures, trailers and RCVs that it has chosen to focus on. The willingness and ability of the owner family and the employees to constantly develop the products and our business have made NTM what it is today. Together with our customers, we continue to develop the best products and solutions to save the climate. Our electric hybrids reduce carbon dioxide emissions. Our multi-purpose vehicles reduce the number of kilometers driven and enable all sorting to take place at home, and for up to 100% of the waste to be recycled. Our trailers and RCVs have the best load capacity on the market both in weight and volume, which enables minimization of emissions and fuel consumption in relation to the amount of cargo transported. NTM We at NTM make it possible for our customers and consumers to reduce their environmental impact and help save our planet!