For love to iron – a unique success story of employees’ courage to become entrepreneurs.

The story began in December 2014 when the Karstula metal subcontracting workshop Meteco Oy went bankrupt, and overnight the employees lost their jobs and future. Finding a new job in a small town is not an easy task, fear of losing jobs became reality – but if the jobs still could be saved?

Trusting their own skills and vision, of how the work could have been done even better, gave the workers an idea of purchasing the business for themselves. After a short planning, the company’s 31 employees decided together to buy the bankruptcy machinery and materials and set up a new company, OnSteel. The company was officially founded in March 2015. This is probably the first time that the Finnish workshop has been owned by its employees, and since then the model has been copied to several companies.

The employees ’own vision was worthwhile, although the start was not easy. An incredible amount of insight and expertise was found inside the company with hundreds of development ideas coming from within. Existing customers also trusted the professionalism of OnSteel’s employees, and the order backlog began to grow as the company gained even new customers.

Today, OnSteel’s annual net sales have grown to six million and investments of 2.8 million euros are underway. A new medium-heavy production line will be built at the factory, offices will be relocated and the old office wing will be dismantled. Thanks to the investments, a dozen new jobs will be created. Of the company’s current 60 employees, 27 are currently shareholders.

OnSteel’s collective spirit is good and everyone is working together for a common goal, in April 2022 OnSteel was recognized with Provincial Entrepreneurship Award.

“In the workshop we are there for each other – sharing thoughts about feelings, work, love and whatever.” OnSteel’s values are; openness, communality, solidarity and helping others. OnSteel wants to be a reliable employer, not so much a risk-taking company. As investors, the owners have a long horizon and a love for working, developing and co-workers. And of course iron.