yli 70 vuotta

History

Our journey to the top of the Finnish roofing industry began in Vehmainen, Tampere, in 1949. Wasting no time, we entered the international market in the 1950s – taking the successful path we have continued on to this day.

Putting a roof over Finland’s head since 1949

The unpredictable Finnish climate with cold winters, hot summers and autumn storms places high demands on construction materials. A durable and high-quality bitumen roof has the excellent ability to withstand rain and keep moisture away from structures. Bitumen has a long history in Finland as a reliable roofing material.

Katepal’s story began in 1949 in southern Finland, in the town of Vehmainen near Tampere. Here, the company took its early steps tarring ropes and manufacturing bitumen solutions for roofing and road construction. The post-war construction boom in Finland drove the young company’s growth shortly after its foundation. Katepal began to export sheet roll products to Sweden in the 1950s, later expanding its export activities to markets such as the Soviet Union, the Middle East and many other European countries.

In just 10 years, Katepal became the largest manufacturer of bitumen roofing in Finland, a position we continue to occupy to this day – at the very top of the roofing industry.

1949

The beginning of a success story

Katepal Oy’s success story begins in Vehmainen, near Tampere in southern Finland, where Simo Kalervo Aro establishes Katepal Oy at just 26 years old together with his partners. Spurred by active product development in a highly competitive market, Katepal quickly grows into a frontline production facility.

1953

The Lempäälä factory is being built

Four years on, Katepal is quickly running out of space in its Vehmainen factory, leading to the construction of a new plant in Lempäälä, also located near Tampere. The new site enables Katepal to manufacture various products on a larger scale. Three factories – a bitumen product plant, a chemical plant and a plastics plant – are built on the site along with a packing plant. At the time, the roofing felt machines at Katepal’s plant were probably the largest in Finland.

1967

Finland's largest bitumen packaging facility

Katepal develops a new method for packing bitumen using silicone-coated paper bags, fully replacing the old metal containers previously used for packaging. Katepal’s bitumen packing plant becomes the largest in Finland, with a capacity of about 200,000 kg per day.

1968

Export cooperation and Tasokattajat

Katepal becomes a stakeholder in Oy Roofing Ab, a joint venture founded together with other companies in the Finnish felt roofing industry. It functions as an export company for manufacturers in the industry. While Sweden and the Soviet Union are the primary export markets, the company also conducts business with Denmark and Norway.

On Katepal’s initiative, professionals in the Finnish waterproofing industry join forces, creating a cooperation chain called Tasokattajat. Companies working under the Tasokattaja banner are professionals in roofing and waterproofing with in-depth expertise and several years of experience in the industry. Today, Tasokattajat operates across Finland under the name Katepal Kattajat.

1969

Aro-Yhtymä is being merged

The two companies owned by Simo Aro (Katepal Oy and Autokeskus Oy) merge with the parent company. The new company operates under the name Aro-Yhtymä Oy, with the Lempäälä plant now called Aro-Yhtymä Oy Katepal.

1976

SBS-bitumen membranes into production

The company begins to manufacture felt rolls modified with elastomer bitumen.

1980

The popularity of roofing shingles is growing

The use of roofing shingles increases dramatically, driving a period of rapid growth and development for the company. As the 1980s begins, the company boasts a wide range of roofing shingle models and colours, introducing copper as a fashionable new colour. Product development focuses on ensuring that roofing shingles would better meet the needs of DIY builders.

During the 1980s the company takes its first steps towards modern top sheets. Inorganic glass and polyester fibres are gradually adopted for use as support layers, and a new Kestokate top sheet, which utilises these modern raw materials, is introduced.

1981

The largest packaging facility in the Nordic countries

The largest and most efficient bitumen packaging method in the Nordics is implemented. Plastic film, easy to melt in bitumen pots at roofing sites, is now used for bitumen packing. Other packing plants in Finland cease operations within a few years.

1982

The first mixed-color roofing shingle

The first mixed-colour roofing shingle, Rustiikki, is launched. While the new product fails to gain significant foothold in the market due to its high price, it represents an important first step in developing future roofing shingle models that later gain popularity.

1983

Sound insulation products become part of the business

Along with regular roofing products, the manufacture and sales of sound insulation products becomes a significant part of Katepal’s business. Over the course of the next decade or so, millions of square metres of soundproofing products are shipped to Sweden and the United States each year.

1985

Katepal invests in its own exports

Katepal begins developing its own export business in the mid-1980s when a decision is made to wind down the operations of Oy Roofing Ab. Early clients include Swedish roofing contractors and companies such as T-Emballage (currently Tecca AB). Products are also shipped to military housing projects in the Soviet Union. The company later expands to other export markets.

1986

The merger is dissolved

Aro-Yhtymä is demerged in 1986, with the Lempäälä unit now named Katepal Oy.

1991–2000

Automation and export expansions

The vast majority of companies in the industrial sector put their investments on hold during the recession of the 1990s. Katepal, however, invests ten million Finnish marks (almost three million euros in today’s money) in a new roofing shingle cutting line, Katepal’s largest single investment to date. Roofing shingle manufacture now becomes automated. The production line is inaugurated on November 14, 1991, along with the introduction of a new roofing shingle product, Katrilli.

During the 1990s, increasing sales of roofing shingles to South Korea, Russia and dozens of other countries pave the way for the next big investment in production and production automation. New granule-coloured products – including Katrilli, Jazzy, Rocky and Foxy – require immense flexibility from the granule system used in production. A first in the industry, an entirely new logistics system is built at Katepal’s plant site for processing granules, including silos and pneumatic conveyors.

Export to Norway commences in the mid-1990s, with Paus & Paus AS as the first importer.

1997

ISO 9001 certification

Katepal’s quality management system was certified in accordance with the international ISO 9001 standard in 1997. This reinforced the company’s commitment to continuous quality management and the development of customer satisfaction.

2000

Manufacture of oxidised bitumen comes to an end

Manufacture of oxidised bitumen comes to an end in Finland in the early 2000s. Having already moved away from oxidised bitumen in professional product compounds, Katepal now follows the same path in roofing shingles by switching to the more weather-resistant elastomer bitumen. Packaging oxidised adhesive bitumen also comes to an end at Katepal. In the 2000s, a new raw material warehouse, a new warehouse for finished products and a new dispatch building are built.

2007

Natural gas replaces heavy fuel oil

Previously powered by heavy fuel oil, Katepal switches to natural gas to power its production. The old brick chimney that stands on the Lempäälä plant site is dismantled a couple of years later as it is in danger of collapsing.

2009

A new production line for underlay sheets

A new production line is completed in Lempäälä, helping the company better meet the increased demand for underlay sheets in the Nordic market. After some initial adjustments to the products and machines, production takes off and light underlay sheets in particular become a breakout success. With this investment, an entirely new product family can now be manufactured.

2015

Katepal AS is established in Norway

Katepal’s Norwegian subsidiary Katepal AS commences operations in 2015. Katepal AS’s clients include roofing contractors and hardware stores across Norway.

2019

A multi-million-euro investment in dual-layer shingle

The second of two major investments in Katepal’s history is completed. Following a multi-million-euro investment in a new production building and production line using the latest technology, the company can now manufacture an entirely new type of product. Production of a new dual-layer Mansion roofing shingle begins in late summer.

2020

Katepal AB is established in Sweden

Katepal gains a strong foothold in the Swedish market through its import partners. The founding of Katepal AB and the first recruit for the Swedish organisation in 2019 begins yet another new chapter in the company’s history.

2021

The first Katepal Green products are launched

The new Katepal Green product range is launched to support low-carbon construction. In this range, some of the bitumen is replaced with renewable raw materials to reduce the life-cycle carbon footprint of a building.

2022

The first EPD calculations

Katepal published its first Environmental Product Declarations (EPD) in 2022. These calculations highlighted the environmental impact of the products throughout their entire lifecycle, supporting the principles of sustainable construction and enhancing customer environmental awareness.