Subcontracting Fair theme partner TT Gaskets relies on quality control and customer relations
News 26.03.2025
TT Gaskets is the leading manufacturer of sealing solutions in the Nordic countries. Different industries have benefited from the expertise of the theme partner for the 2025 Subcontracting Trade Fair for over 80 years. Among the relatively small players in the sealing industry, TT Gaskets stands out both in size and pioneering attitude.
“The Subcontracting Trade Fair is an opportunity for us to meet hundreds of our customers over the course of a couple of days. We catch up and listen to where the market is heading. The fair is conveniently held in the fall, so we can get an idea of the next year’s forecast, which strongly influences, for example, our own investments. Of course, every event also brings at least few won deals,” says Business Director Petri Lehtinen.
Exporting for 50 years
TT Gaskets is a third-generation family business based in Tampere, with deep roots in the industrial history of the city. The company started its operations during the Continuation War when the Finnish Defence Forces needed seals for tanks and artillery.
In addition to a home market that has grown since those times, TT Gaskets has been exporting Finnish sealing expertise worldwide for over half a century. Today, sealing products and components are shipped from Tampere to meet the needs of some of the world’s largest engine, maritime, and energy companies. In the coming years, exports and international clients will continue to grow through targeted marketing and expansion efforts.
“Investments in automation, for example, have brought a new level of precision and efficiency to operations. Currently, the most modern sealing factory in Europe is located in Tampere, with production capacity that can scale far beyond the current level if needed,” assures Lehtinen.
A Focus on the future
TT Gaskets is known as a reliable, innovative, and responsible company. Trust is built in a very typical Finnish manner: the ordered work is carried out in the best possible way. Many customer relationships have started with a single product, but the number of products has grown to dozens, sometimes even hundreds.
“In sealing, everything depends on the small details. A good seal rarely gets much attention, but a poor seal can cause a lot of damage. In our industry, unnoticeability is a virtue,” Lehtinen describes.
Another important element of TT Gaskets’ success recipe is its pioneering spirit, which runs throughout the entire organization. Investments are made proactively and directed wisely towards systems, people, and machinery. TT Gaskets also keeps a close hand on the pulse of the market to discover new business areas.
“At the moment, hydrogen and renewable fuels offer plenty of new business opportunities. For example, for hydrogen technology, we already have a series of good seals, and a completely new sealing solution is in the testing phase.”
Responsibility drives forward
The theme of the Subcontracting 2025 fair is “Competitiveness through Sustainability”, and TT Gaskets, as the theme partner, is a pioneer in adopting sustainable practices and minimizing its carbon footprint. The 3,000-square-meter extension of the production facility, complete with solar panels, has made production even more modern, efficient, and environmentally friendly. The latest investment, the TruLaser 5030 Fiber L76 laser, accelerates the production process, increases capacity, and improves energy efficiency.
As part of its sustainability strategy, TT Gaskets publishes a VSME report, which is a voluntary sustainability report for SMEs.
“A large part of our customers needs data on subcontractors’ emissions for their own ESG report. With the VSME report, we can comprehensively and easily provide our customers with the necessary information,” summarizes Quality, Lean, and IT Director Matti Järvinen.
In subcontracting, cooperation is key
Subcontracting is more than just connecting parts of the production chain. It’s collaboration, where each party brings its expertise and capabilities to ensure the entire process functions efficiently. TT Gaskets’ example shows that success in the subcontracting industry is not just about expanding the product range or speeding up production processes but about a combination of collaboration, responsibility, and innovation.