Blue is the Colour for VM Suomalainen Oy

Based in Vantaa, on the outskirts of the Finnish capital Helsinki, VM Suomalainen Oy is a significant player in the construction, infrastructure and civil engineering business in Finland. The company is currently working on several major construction projects across the region.

One of the most notable jobs is the 46-million-euro Mannerheimintie project in Helsinki which started in March 2023 and has been described as the largest urban renovation project in the history of the Finnish capital.

Some of the most stunning machines owned by VM Suomalainen Oy are its fleet of blue Liebherr’s. These patriotic looking blue & white machines have become a very familiar sight on the streets of Helsinki and the surrounding area as they go about their business.

The company recently added three new 26-tonne class Liebherr R 926 Compact hydraulic excavator models to the fleet. The machines are “all singing, all dancing” high specification affairs, with two-piece (TAB) booms, Engcon EC233 tiltrotators with EC-Oil automatic quick release and 3D machine control. The machines with their compact dimensions are well suited to urban site work where working space can often be on the tight side.

The machines are equipped with Liebherr’s automatic engine shutdown system, if the machine has been sitting idling for a predetermined period of time, it just shuts down, this not only saves fuel, but is also an important environmental factor for working in a congested urban environment.  

Pictured above: VM Suomalainen Oy chairman of the board, Harri Kallio (left), with Ari Hopia Sales Manager for Liebherr Finland.

With the help of my friends at Konepörssi  magazine, we visited one of the R 926 machines at one location where it was working on a job to renovate water pies and sewers in the Vantaa area.

We also visited another site in Helsinki’s Tapaninkylä area where the larger R 936 Compact was working on renewing the water supply network, replacing old pipes which were in very poor condition. Here we met the operator Risto Kantola who is a big fan of the 36-tonne Liebherr machines. He received this machine new in July 2023 having run another one previously.

Just a couple of days later and we caught up with Risto again as we were attending the Snow Sculpture competition in Juupajoki. As reported in this months Earthmovers magazine, Risto was attending the event for the third time.

It was a case of third time lucky for Risto and the big R 936 Compact, as he went on to win the solo operator and machine category with his stunning creation ‘The Wolf of Juupajoki’.

Photo: Risto Kantola stands proudly beside his creation and his machine, with his winners plaque.

We are already looking at making plans to attend the event again next year, if things go to plan.