About Us

Established in 1990, Vahterus is a Finnish family business focused on sustainable heat exchanger solutions. The company is named after its home village in the Vakka-Suomi region of Western Finland. Vahterus was founded in an old sheep farm set in beautiful countryside, and after almost three decades of business and growth, we’re still proud to call the village our home.

Our founders Mauri and Sinikka Kontu pictured in the village of Vahterus.
Our founders Mauri and Sinikka Kontu pictured in the village of Vahterus.

A little history

In the late 1980s, we began to develop a completely new type of heat exchanger. This effort was based on the work experience that our founder and CEO Mauri Kontu had gained from the design and manufacture of gasketed plate heat exchangers. We wanted to see if it was possible to integrate and combine the Shell & Tube heat exchanger’s tolerance of pressure and temperature with the superior heat transfer qualifies of a Plate & Frame heat exchanger. The aim was to create a new-generation heat exchanger construction that would be suitable for a wide range of applications. This development work resulted in the first fully welded Plate & Shell heat exchanger. This key innovation – the fully welded plate pack enclosed in a strong pressure vessel tube – eliminates the need for a gasket and creates a structurally durable heat exchanger that is both compact and safe.

Vahterus Plate & Shell Heat Exchangers have extensive applications within the chemical and process, energy and refrigeration industries. Our technology has evolved over the years in collaboration with our customers, and our progress is the fruit of this cooperation.

Mission

Since the beginning, our mission has been to provide the best heat exchanger solutions for our customers. Without heat exchangers, industries and households would stop running. Heat exchanger efficiency is also fundamental in the ongoing energy transition.

Our heat exchangers are built for the next generation: they save energy, are compact in size, always custom-made, and because of their fully welded structure, they’re durable enough for even the most demanding conditions.

We aim to maintain our position as forerunners in our field through continuous product development, automated production technology and strong application know-how. A significant part of our research and development is done together with our customers, finding solutions to each unique requirement. Several global patents and awards granted for our innovative design and environmentally friendly products are a token of the success of our work. With headquarters and manufacturing facilities in Finland, Vahterus has subsidiaries in the UK, Germany, China and the US.

We believe in thinking globally and acting locally. While we expand, our headquarters and manufacturing facilities remain in Finland.
We believe in thinking globally and acting locally. While we expand, our headquarters and manufacturing facilities remain in Finland.
Left: Our first employee Jorma Laaksonen has worked at Vahterus since 1990. Right: Vahterus headquarters are located in a historic local building in Kalanti, Western Finland.
Left: Our first employee Jorma Laaksonen has worked at Vahterus since 1990. Right: Vahterus headquarters are located in a historic local building in Kalanti, Western Finland.
Vahterus is run like a family business. We believe in deep collaboration, conversation and working together – in our teams, and with our customers.
Vahterus is run like a family business. We believe in deep collaboration, conversation and working together – in our teams, and with our customers.
Several global patents and awards granted for our innovative design and environmentally friendly products are a token of the success of our work.
Several global patents and awards granted for our innovative design and environmentally friendly products are a token of the success of our work.
Today, Vahterus heat-exchanger technology is utilised in various demanding processes in the oil and gas, chemical and process, energy and refrigeration industries worldwide.
Today, Vahterus heat-exchanger technology is utilised in various demanding processes in the oil and gas, chemical and process, energy and refrigeration industries worldwide.