AFTER MORE THAN 30 YEARS OF COOPERATION, THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN TERVAKOSKI FILM AND ELECTRONICON IS NOW STRONGER THAN EVER. RECENTLY, THE TWO COMPANIES ENTERED INTO A STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP, WHERE SHARED VALUES, TRUE UNDERSTANDING AND CO-DEVELOPMENT ARE AMONG THE KEY FACTORS TO ENSURE BOTH COMPANIES REMAIN ON TOP OF AN INCREASINGLY COMPETITIVE MARKET.

German-based company Electronicon is one of Europe’s leading capacitor manufacturers, having served customers around the world for more than 80 years. The capacitors they manufacture are among the most critical components in any electrical application and are heavily reliant on high-quality film, which is something that Tervakoski Film has supplied since the 1980s. Superb quality is a prerequisite to success on the market. However, quality alone is not enough; the cost pressure on both capacitor film and finished capacitors is increasing.

STRONGER TOGETHER
On the decision to enter into a strategic partnership with Tervakoski Film, Klaus Holbe, owner of Electronicon Kondensatoren GmbH, explains the following: “To maintain our competitiveness and jobs in Europe, we continuously need to find new models – both when it comes to technology and the way we cooperate with our suppliers.” Holbe was a customer of Electronicon back in the days when the cooperation first started, and he fully understands why the Finnish-based company was chosen as a supplier of capacitor paper (later replaced with film). Very few suppliers were able to deliver the high-quality paper demanded by Electronicon. Since there was such a shortage of quality wood in the GDR at the time, even the Finnish packing crates were highly appreciated.


In the 1990s, Holbe took over the helm at Electronicon, and fondly recalls the early days of cooperation with Tervakoski Film. He remembers especially Anna-Liisa Ravantti, who oversaw the international capacitor-film sales at Tervakoski Film.


“Ms. Ravantti was an exceptional businesswoman who combined her dedication to business with a warm personality, which set the course for our cooperation. Thanks to her, the cooperation evolved into something more than just another supplier-customer relationship,” remembers Holbe.


“During the years, and especially now when we have entered into a strategic partnership, I have come to realise that, alongside quality, it is crucial that we are on the same level as the people we work with. The fact that the Sales Director of Tervakoski Film, Jari-Pekka Nurminen, and I think the same way makes the cooperation work so much smoother than it would be otherwise. This is something I greatly appreciate.”

Having a partner that understands us and with whom we share our core values gives me hope for the future.

SIMPLY THE BEST PACKAGE
From having had an intermediary handling most of the contacts during the first 20 years of cooperation, during the last decade the communication between the parties has been direct. Electronicon’s Head of Purchasing, Ingo Machleidt, explains how the growing volumes, especially, have made direct contact a requirement for the business to be efficient. Throughout the companies’ shared history, the volume of delivered film has grown tenfold.

Electronicon purchases both plain base film and metallised film from Tervakoski Film for its wide range of capacitors. The technical parameters are agreed beforehand, but small adjustments regarding for example thicknesses may arise at short notice. “At Tervakoski Film, we have a dedicated team of just the right size as our counterpart – a team that is very agile and flexible. They know us, understand what we need, and can make swift decisions to quickly provide us with new samples, which is essential to us,” says Machleidt.

The teams meet regularly, both at Tervakoski Film in Svit and at Electronicon in Gera. The new closer relationship entails more frequent meetings, both online and face-to-face. “The closer we work together, the more important information-sharing becomes,” Machleidt says. The meetings, however, are more than just strategic development sessions. “The business is serious but relaxing together is also important. It is great that we have found a partner we enjoy working with.”

“Tervakoski Film’s trump card is their overall package. Considering everything that matters, and by that I mean quality, R&D, people, communication and price, they are the supplier we want to work with,” Machleidt sums up.

When looking at quality, R&D, people, communication and price, Tervakoski Film is the supplier we want to work with.

HEADING FOR THE FUTURE THROUGH CO-INNOVATION
The requirements for capacitors and film keep evolving. In the 1990s, the largest capacitor weighed five kilograms and usually had three windings. Today, capacitors for HVDC applications weigh 250 kilograms and have more than 200 windings, which poses quite a challenge for manufacturers. The film must become increasingly thinner, while simultaneously resisting increasingly heavier loads. Another major focus area concerns the ever-increasing temperatures that the components of future applications must be able to withstand.

Continuous development is a necessity not only to be suitable for future applications, but also to beat any future competition. The very best development takes place when working together to reach common goals, which is something Holbe is well aware of.


“Electronicon cannot do without high-quality film and Tervakoski Film cannot do without a manufacturer of high-quality capacitors. This fact, combined with the increasing pressure from other actors, inevitably brings us closer. Having a partner that understands us and with whom we share our core values gives me hope for the future. Together with Tervakoski Film, we continuously refine our respective top-of-the-range technologies to keep providing the market with the best capacitor solutions,” Holbe concludes.