A Regional Approach to Service

by Juha Pentikainen
Service Manager

Juha Pentikäinen was recently appointed Service Manager for Finn-Power International, Inc. Juha is well prepared for this position. He joined Finn-Power in 1989. Since that time he has held the positions of Applications Engineer, Applications Manager, System Applications Manager & Project Manager. We asked Juha to share his thoughts on the role of Customer Service at Finn-Power.

    There is an enormous responsibility on the part of all equipment manufacturers to provide strong after-sales support for their products. Fabricators have a choice of several competitive machine builders, and their business and loyalty must be earned in both weak and strong economies.

    Finn-Power is widely recognized as the industry leader in sheet metal fabrication automation. Finn-Power has a history of introducing new and innovative products such as punch/shear and punch/laser technologies, servo-electric machines, linear drive technology, etc. The responsibility for keeping our machines operating in the field at the highest possible uptime is a commitment that we all take very seriously. Satisfied customers are the lifeblood of Finn-Power.

Regional Service
    To better serve our customers, Finn-Power has created a regional system with service coordinators and service technicians stationed in four different areas of North America. This regional approach allows us to provide a more expedient response time. We create personal relationships with our customers in order to better know their equipment and specific needs. Our regional coordinators have years of training in installation, start up, and service. In addition, they are factory trained and maintain strong contacts with our technical personnel in Finland in order to obtain quick answers to questions or potential problems.

    We have also developed an experienced service technician base. Along this line, we continue to stress internal training and the utilization of the expertise of our European counterparts when needed. Our training is in both the technical and personal aspects of customer service. We stress that our customers’ concerns are also our concerns.

REGIONAL SERVICE COORDINATORS PROVIDE “ FACTORY-TRAINED” SERVICE KNOWLEDGE     Finn-Power International has four regional service coordinators located throughout North America. These factory-trained coordinators provide the following benefits to the growing list of Finn-Power customers: • Advanced phone support • Final determination of service technician assignments for installations, preventative maintenance, and emergency service • Managed trouble-shooting data base for all Finn-Power equipment     Here is a brief introduction of the regional service coordinators:   Juha Varjonen (Western Region/Los Angeles) – Originally from the southwest coast of Finland, Juha is a machine automation engineer. He joined Finn-Power Oy in 1997 and has worked in the U.S. for five years – two years as a service technician and three years as a service coordinator. Before he joined Finn-Power Oy, Juha worked on CNC machining centers and industrial food machines. Phone (949) 660 8886 – e-mail juhav@finnpower.com   Pasi Erkkilä (Eastern Region/Atlanta) – Pasi is an automation engineer who has worked for Finn-Power for nearly eight years. Before joining Finn-Power International in 2000, Pasi worked for Finn-Power’s final testing department in Finland where he tested and installed flexible manufacturing cells and systems throughout the world. Phone (678) 291 0056 – e-mail pasi@finnpower.com   Ismo Rossi (Midwest Region/Chicago) – Ismo is a power electric engineer. He worked for Finn-Power Oy from 1994-1997 as a final testing engineer, where his duties included final testing and adjustments of equipment and customer installations. After a few years as an engineer with the large Finnish metals company, Outokumpu, Ismo joined Finn-Power International in early 2001. Phone (847) 952 6500 – e-mail ismo@finnpower.com   Mika Huopalainen (Northern Region/Toronto) – Mika is a veteran Finn-Power startup and customer support engineer. His knowledge and factory-level experience of Finn-Power products allows him to respond to any customer service need. Phone (416) 242 4431 – e-mail mika.huopalainen@finnpower.com

710 Remington Road
Schaumburg, IL 60173 USA
Phone: (847) 885 3200
Fax: (847) 885 9692
www.finnpower.com

  Volume 13 Issue 1 - July 2003
Finn-Power reserves the right to change technical specifications without prior notice.
Finn-Power is a registered trademark.  All other product names identified throughout this publication are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.

Copyright © 2003 by Finn-Power International, Inc.