Summer holidays are approaching and our factories will have summer shutdowns as follows:

M-Filter Haapavesi, Finland weeks 28-31

M-Filter Druskininkai, Lithuania weeks 28-31

Filterpak Hanko, Finland weeks 28-30

Filterpak Salo, Finland weeks 29-31

Filterpak Vimpeli, Finland weeks 27-28

MANN+HUMMEL expands Northern and Eastern Europe presence

Together with the Finnish filtration company Oy M-Filter Ab, the MANN+HUMMEL Group opens up new strategic business areas in Scandinavia and the Baltic States. M-Filter will have a strong partner in MANN+HUMMEL to expand in the region and offer customers a broader product portfolio.

Ludwigsburg/Haapavesi, January 10^th, 2023 – The MANN+HUMMEL Group announced a strategic investment in M-Filter Group, one of the largest filter manufacturing companies in Northern and Eastern Europe with several production facilities in Finland and Lithuania. Since 1962, the company has specialized in different areas of filtration, including air ventilation filters, HEPA filters and oil/hydraulic filters for engines. While the brand Filterpak will complement MANN+HUMMEL’s existing portfolios in commercial and residential HVAC, M-Filter will stand for a strong input in the OEM products for industrial and engine filtration.

“Joining forces with M-Filter will allow us to strengthen our European footprint and unlock growth opportunities in Scandinavia and the Baltic states”,

Kurk Wilks, CEO and President of the MANN+HUMMEL Group.

“The majority growth investment by MANN+HUMMEL will be used to further product development and will enable us to invest in sales and operational capabilities. The M-Filter Group has been able to grow the company organically and inorganically over the past years, and we’re looking forward to working closely with the MANN+HUMMEL teams to serve our customers in the region”

Kai Liesmaa, CEO of M-Filter.

Further information available from:

Kai Liesmaa
CEO, M-Filter Group
Tel. +358 40 5017 614
kai.liesmaa@m-filter.fi

About MANN+HUMMEL

MANN+HUMMEL is a leading global company in filtration technology. Under its two business units Transportation and Life Sciences & Environment, the Ludwigsburg-based Group (Germany) develops intelligent filtration and separation solutions that enable cleaner mobility, cleaner air and cleaner water. Thus, the 1941 founded family-owned company makes an important contribution to a clean earth and the sustainable use of limited resources. In 2021, over 23,000 employees at more than 80 locations generated a turnover of EUR 4.2 billion.

You can find further information on MANN+HUMMEL at https://www.mann-hummel.com

Against diseases by purifying indoor air

M-Filter Group is involved in a development project, where the goal is to find out whether air purification can reduce the incidence of circulating upper respiratory tract infections in children.

The E3-project aims to harness modern science and technology to create effective countermeasures to prevent the spreading of novel infectious diseases. Filterpak Oy, a part of M-Filter Group, is bringing along the expertise of the filtration industry

Is a cleaner future healthier?

In the future, the quality of breathing air may play a greater role in preventing the spread of various infectious diseases. This is being investigated in a joint innovation project together with experts from different fields.

The goal is to to harness modern science and technology to prevent the spreading of novel infectious diseases.

Stated in the E3-project description: “The project will primarily study the different pathways of pathogens and viruses, virus control and detection methods that can be used to find solutions to keep indoor air clean and safe in offices, public spaces, and vehicles. The main goal is to develop solutions that allow the various functions of society to continue uninterrupted and people to continue to move and live safely despite epidemics and pandemics.”

Covering early childhood education units in the city of Helsinki

The study maps the morbidity of children and employees in all early childhood education units of the city of Helsinki. In addition to this, an air cleaning intervention will be implemented in four kindergartens, which is hoped to reduce infections in daycare and thus children’s overall morbidity. Babysitters, daycare nurses and kindergarten teachers were absent from work for an average of 21–29 days in the first year of the corona pandemic in 2020. Daycare infections are therefore of great social significance.

“I think it’s great that we get to participate in this research. I’m glad that this kind of issue is finally being investigated.”

says the City of Helsinki’s director of early childhood education, Miia Kemppi.

The occurrence of upper respiratory tract infections is reduced by cleaning the breathing air of pathogens

The E3-project defines this as one of the important starting points for the project. Other essential points are e.g.

• air purification also reduces the occurrence of stomach diseases
• employee sickness and absence will decrease
• parental absences from work due to a child’s/own illness in the family will decrease

“We want to build a cleaner future by improving indoor air quality and thus preventing the spread of various infectious diseases. This development is natural for us, as we have worked for a long time in the field of small particle filtering technology.”

Peter Norlund, MD of Filterpak Oy

The research is led by doctor Enni Sanmark from the Helsinki University Hospital and industrial professor Piia Sormunen from the University of Tampere.

There are several leading companies from the fields of diagnostics, ventilation and sensor technology participating in the cooperation, Parties involved in the research are Helsingin yliopistollinen sairaala (HUS), Tampereen yliopisto, Tampereen ammattikorkeakoulu, Ilmatieteen laitos, Työterveyslaitos, Terveyden ja hyvinvoinnin laitos, VTT and Helsinki University. Companies included: Granlund, Air0, Halton Group, Lifa Air, Alme Solutions, Inspector SEC (ISEC), SmartWatcher, Filterpak – part of M-Filter Group and Roche Diagnostics.

Read the own post of  E3 Pandemic Responce: E3 is starting extensive study in Helsinki kindergartens

For more information:

Piia Sormunen
Tampereen yliopisto
p. 050 476 6731
piia.sormunen@tuni.fi

Enni Sanmark
Helsingin yliopistollinen sairaala
p. 040 844 6940
enni.sanmark@hus.fi

Peter Norlund
MD / Founder
Filterpak Oy / M-Filter Group
+358 40 081 5871
peter.nordlund@filterpak.fi

Meeri Virkkala
Quality Manager
M-Filter Group
+358 40 718 1720
meeri.virkkala@m-filter.fi

M-Filter Group expands again and strengthens its position as clean air specialist

Oy M-Filter Ab has acquired all shares of Filter Partner Oy, which operates in Salo, Finland.

Filter Partner Oy was established in year 2006. Company specializes on production, sales and marketing of HVAC- and industrial filters and is one of the leading experts of HVAC-filters in Finland. Company has 20 employees, turnover in 2021 was 3,8M€. Operations in Salo will continue as earlier and Markku Lahtinen will continue as Managing Director of Filter Partner Oy.

Markku Lahtinen considers the acquisition a significant step for both parties. As a result of this arrangement, more products will be manufactured domestically. Filter Partner Oy will have better possibilities to grow in the future as part of bigger group.

”M-Filter Group has several factories and a large number of production resources in our own control. We have possibilities to offer competitive price level, reliable delivery times and the widest range of products.” says Kai Liesmaa, the CEO of M-Filter Group.   

M-Filter Group is one of leading manufacturers of air filters in Northern Europe. As a result of this acquisition, M-Filter Group will strengthen the operations in clean air sector.

After the acquisition, M-Filter Group comprises seven companies: Oy M-Filter Ab, Filterpak Oy,
PL-Filter Oy, LM-Filters Oy, UAB M-Filter EU, M-Filter GmbH and Filter Partner Oy. Turnover of the M-Filter Group will be approximately 32M€ and employs c. 220 people.

Further information available from:

Kai Liesmaa
Oy M-Filter Ab
+358 40 5017 614
kai.liesmaa@m-filter.fi

Towards carbon neutrality

M-Filter Group has launched a project towards carbon neutrality. The carbon footprint will be calculated in accordance with the greenhouse gas (GHG) protocol, which is a generally accepted and broadly used calculation method.

We will start by identifying the carbon footprint of our operations. To this end, we have selected Green Carbon Finland as our partner. Green Carbon has the first ISO 14064-certified carbon sinks in the Nordic countries. It is important to us that our carbon footprint is calculated by a reliable external expert organisation.

We will first identify where emissions are generated and how they can be controlled and reduced. After this, we can take concrete action for the environment. We will offset part of our emissions by using carbon sinks. Green Carbon’s certified carbon sinks are Finnish forests and partnership projects with Finnish landowners. M-Filter will offset direct emissions from its operations by using certified Finnish carbon offsetting.

Our aim is to make our operations carbon neutral by means of emissions reductions and carbon offsets. We will draw a climate roadmap to lead us towards low carbon business.

More information about the GHG protocol is available at https://ghgprotocol.org. 

For more information about the project, please contact:

Meeri Virkkala
Quality and EHS Manager
+358 40 718 1720
meeri.virkkala@m-filter.fi

Clean Finnish air conquers the world – a new group becomes the market leader

Clean air specialists Oy M-Filter Ab and Filterpak Oy have merged in a transaction where Oy M-Filter Ab has acquired all shares in Filterpak Oy, which operates in Hanko, Finland. With the transaction, the owners of Filterpak Oy Peter Nordlund and Thomas Nordlund become co-owners in Oy M-Filter Ab and join the Board of the group, while continuing in their previous positions at Filterpak. Kai Liesmaa will continue as the Managing Director of the group. The transaction will not affect the employees of the companies. 

Oy M-Filter Ab manufactures air and oil filters for various international top brands globally. With the merger, the group strengthens and expands its operations in the clean indoor air solution sector, where Filterpak has been among the top companies in the field. 

We are very happy that two strong domestic operators in this sector are merging. This arrangement will allow us to outpace the market as we grow globally, says Kai Liesmaa, the Managing Director of Oy M-Filter Ab. 

Peter Nordlund, the Managing Director of Filterpak Oy, considers the merger a significant step for both parties and for domestic production. 

With the merger, we join the ranks of major filter manufacturers in Northern Europe. I am delighted that jobs in the newly created growth company remain in Finland, Nordlund says. 

The importance of healthy indoor air is immense: According to Sisäilmayhdistys ry, good indoor air reduces illnesses, increases comfort, and improves working efficiency. The cost of poor indoor air quality is measured in billions of euros in Finland alone. 

The air in Finland is the cleanest in the world (WHO 2017), so it is only natural that the best indoor air filtration solutions also come from Finland. Clean outdoor air is often taken as granted here in Finland, but we have a lot of room for improvement as regards the quality of indoor air. And the situation is even worse in many other countries. We now have a unique opportunity to create a Finnish success story, Liesmaa summarizes. 

After the merger, M-Filter Group comprises three companies: Oy M-Filter Ab, PL-Filter Oy, and Filterpak Oy. The factories of Oy M-Filter Ab are located in Haapavesi, Finland, and Druskininkai, Lithuania, while PL-Filter Oy is located in Vimpeli, Finland, and Filterpak Oy in Hanko, Finland. The group also comprises Oy M-Filter Ab’s sales companies in Germany and Russia. The group’s turnover for this year is expected to reach approximately 23 million euros and it employs around 200 people. 

Further information available from: 

Kai Liesmaa
Oy M-Filter Ab
+358 (0)40 5017614
kai.liesmaa@m-filter.fi 

Peter Nordlund
Filterpak Oy
+358 (0)40 081 5871
peter.nordlund@filterpak.fi
www.filterpak.fi 

Filter solutions for indoor air cleaning

We manufacture the most demanding filtration solutions to improve indoor air quality, e.g. for viral air purifiers.

The safety and cleanliness of the indoor air are improved through the use of HEPA and activated carbon filters.

Bag and compact filters

Find our quality bag and compact filters here: www.pl-filter.fi

The new M-Filter brand

M-Filter started manufacturing filters in Haapavesi in 1962, with an initial focus on automotive filtering. Over the years our production has evolved to cover a wide range of OEM and air filtering solutions.

Today we are the biggest filter manufacturer in Finland and Northern Europe,
supplying tailor-made solutions for diverse industries and major companies.

The new M-Filter brand aims to communicate our Finnish background and 60 years of experience – combined with our state-of-the-art production and engineering processes.

Our new brand slogan – KEEP IT CLEAN – communicates the goals we share with our partners: for cleaner work environments, cleaner machinery and a cleaner world.

Hygienic mask production started

M-Filter has started hygienic mask production in Finland, at both the Haapavesi and Vimpeli factories.

For production we use the new material by Ahlstrom-Munksjö, created specifically for mask use.