Background
It all started when Helge Ahola recognized a demand that he and his trucks were able to meet. 1950s Finland was characterized by a growing need to move gravel, construction materials and other goods for the developing welfare state.
For Helge, success came through hard, honest and determined work, combined with strong skills. The business flourished, with his sons Hans, Lars, Nils and Rolf joining in over time.
At Ahola, family is at the heart of everything we do.
1955 – Helge Ahola establishes a transport company
1965 – We start transporting oil for Neste and Union and this partnership continues until 1996
1972 – Hans Ahola, current Chairman of the Board, starts working for the company as a gravel truck driver.
1973 – Our first international transport to Sweden.
1977 – Hans Ahola joins his father as a business partner.
International transport for industry and trade became a core business area for Ahola Group. By the 1980s the company faced a fundamental strategic question: was it simply a matter of moving goods by truck or ensuring a seamless end-to-end logistics chain?
The company identified an opportunity to differentiate itself by offering customers tailor-made, end-to-end solutions that went beyond traditional freight transport. The aim was to deliver added value to customers and other stakeholders through efficient, pan-European arrangements in transport and logistics.
1981 – The first maintenance building is constructed in Kokkola. Hans Ahola brings his brothers Lars, Nils and Rolf into the business.
1982 – After Helge Ahola’s passing, Hans Ahola takes over the management of the company.
1986–1988 – A turning point in the company’s profitability came with the shift to focus on direct transport, laying the foundation for the online concept
1991 – Ahola Transport establishes a subsidiary in Umeå, Sweden.
In a post-industrial information society goods still need to be transported, but faster, more efficiently and more profitably. This also placed new demands on transport management: an IT-based ERP system was needed to enable real-time and data-driven logistics.
In the 1990s, the company made a strategic choice that proved to be a turning point: the system would not be outsourced, but built in-house.
1992–1996 – A period of strong growth.
1996 – Decision to develop a system for transport planning, i.e. a system to optimize the amount of goods in the trucks. The Attracs project is launched.
2002 – The company obtains ISO 14001 certification.
2003 – The ERP system Attracs Online is launched.
2004 – The company obtains ISO 9001 certification. Transport operations in the Baltic States are launched and Baltic Translog is established.
2008 – The transport link is opened in Nykvarn, Sweden.
2009 – A new group structure is created. Attracs incorporated.
2014 – Preference shares are subscribed by staff and family members of the next generation. The group structure is reformed again, ahead of the planned listing on a suitable market. The new group, of which Ahola Transport is the parent company, comprises all logistics-related companies, including Oy Attracs Ab.
2015 – Decision to apply for an IPO on Aktietorget. Decision to issue shares to expand ownership to investors in Finland and Sweden.
2016 – Share trading is transferred from the Swedish Aktietorget market to Nasdaq First North in Helsinki.
2017 – Ahola’s new planning and control centre named Service Tower is inaugurated at the Kokkola headquarters. The Service Tower has wall-mounted screens around the room, allowing operational staff to view the information they need to do their job in real time.
2018 – Ahola Transport and truck manufacturer Scania announced a strategic partnership agreement that will bring new transport technology to the Nordic roads. The project, which also involves universities and public authorities, will test and develop platooning, or semi-autonomous trucking on public roads.
The acquisition expands Ahola Special’s business with project management and installation services.
2019 – A new branch for Baltic operations is opened in Tallinn, Estonia.
2019 – EU emission targets for 2030 achieved for Ahola Transport. The University of Oulu confirms the calculations, and the emission reduction figures will be certified by DNV in 2020.
2020 – Ahola Transport delists from the stock exchange and returns to being a family-owned company.
2021 – The company brand is updated and unified, and the Group’s segments (Ahola Transport, Ahola Special and Ahola Digital) are united by the Ahola name and brand.
2022 – Ida Saavalainen becomes Group CEO.
2023 – Attracs Online, Ahola’s own ERP system, turns 20. The engineering service by Ahola Special is introduced.
2022–2024 – Ahola Transport strengthens the piloting of green energy. Notable achievements include Ahola Transport’s first international cross-border electric truck transport, the introduction of Finland’s first e-trailer and a heavy equipment charging station.
2024 – Hans Ahola turns 70. Ahola’s own education pathway, Ahola Academy, is established, and the first student will graduate at the turn of the year.
2025 – 70th anniversary of Ahola.