Today, Doofor offers a secure global availability of hydraulic rock drills for two distinct reasons. Instead of difficulties, operating from a small Finnish town enables strengths that benefit both the company and its customers. At the same time, operating internationally has been in the company’s DNA from the very beginning.
Around the world since day 1
Kalle Kuusento states that Doofor was born global. His father, Jaakko Kuusento, started the business as an international consulting agency for industrial manufacturers and accumulated a network of contacts and a deep knowledge of hydraulic rock drills while doing so. When the decision was made to change the business idea from consulting to manufacturing in the early 90s, everything was already set up.
“My father’s thinking was very international. To include only Finland, Sweden, or even other Nordic countries and Germany was somehow foreign to him. The idea from the get-go was to follow in the footsteps of larger Finnish companies, whose market area was Europe, the United States and Canada, Australia and often the whole world,” Kalle Kuusento reminisces.
Another factor that drove Doofor to a global approach right off the bat was that its products are mainly aimed at drilling equipment manufacturers, and for that, a limited market is too small. “Hence, Doofor couldn’t afford to only look at a certain geographical area but needed to go where the equipment is manufactured—and that takes place around the world,” Kuusento clarifies.
Global availability of hydraulic rock drills relies on cooperation and an understanding of the industry
“Choosing a product as part of their equipment is a big decision for customers, and they need to be able to trust it. Of course, we can still be regarded as a small company, but supply capabilities and continuity are something we have long since secured a hard-earned win against,” Kuusento assures.
One factor is that Doofor is run in the second generation. Also, through extensive hiring, successful product development, long experience, and an understanding of the industry, Doofor has its operation well figured out.
“Everything stems from acknowledging how significant a component hydraulic drill is for the customers’ equipment. When someone gets in touch with their needs, you have to react swiftly, and if there’s a problem, it must be handled instantly,” Kuusento emphasizes.
“When we sell a drill, it usually goes to a drilling equipment manufacturer with whom we cooperate. We train them, and they offer a comprehensive spare parts warehouse that enables reacting to the end-users’ parts or short-notice service needs locally. This enables our organization to be there for the customers whether they are situated in different time zones.”
Doofor’s position comes with many benefits
Beating the preconceptions and enabling the global availability of hydraulic rock drills might initially sound like an arduous effort, especially when it’s done from a small Finnish town.
“Our origin does come as a surprise to some customers,” Kuusento admits. “Finland isn’t a well-known country as such, simply because of its small population. On the other hand, in the metal industry, machinery manufacturing, and construction and mining equipment production, Finland punches above its weight. When you travel around the world in the drilling business, you often meet people who have been in Northern Europe, Finland or even Nokia.”
According to Kuusento, Doofor’s location enables it to utilize a business-friendly, safe, and predictable operating environment. Additionally, Nokia is situated in the vicinity of Tampere, an area with a concentration of metal industry and demanding manufacturing, which means good component and workforce availability as well as excellent transport and logistics connections.
Doofor’s physical location is so apt that it can test-drill its equipment on hard granite on its own lot without the need to ship rock from elsewhere and still ship its products out fast. “Even though we represent the northeastern corner of Europe, we are, in a sense, close to everything,” Kuusento summarizes.
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