First there was an anvil...

E.S. Lahtinen Oy was established on 31.10.1928, when Mr. Erkki Samuli Lahtinen signed an agreement on representing INDIAN motor cycles. At first, the business idea was to sell motor cycles and bicycles and to repair all kinds of machines. The first investment was a 80 kg anvil, which was brought to the construction site before the workshop was even built.

Electricity comes 1947

Samppa Lahtinen was officially trained to 'operate steam engines according to emporial legislation'. The title was useful, when the workshop was equipped with a steam locomotive, which operated all machines with the help of main shafts. Koura village was not electrified until 1947.

T-Ford has delicious spare-parts

By self-learning and experimenting Samppa became a skilful machine builder. The motor cycle sale did not increase very widely, but by disassembling them he got good parts to satisfy the needs of machine building.

Especially the self-planned and built special machines enabled the series manufacture of kicksleds in 1933. Some of those remarkable machines are still in use. In the wood work department there was in use for 70 years a band saw, which was assembled from the parts of the famous T-Ford.

Lahtis-Samppa (on the right) with his apprentices. The big wheel at the back was very useful when there was no electricity available yet.

bigger picture..

 

More products to balance the season

The production of kicksleds is seasonal and other products must be developed to keep the business going. Garden harrows and liquid gas grills were good balancers of the season. However, their production was stopped when it was decided to manufacture equipment for mobility.

Going on wheels

Another page was turned in the history of the company in 1980, when wheels were placed under the kicksled and it became useful throughout the year. After that the main target has been the development of different kinds of wheel equipped mobility devices.

 

Roller sled prototype. bigger picture..