Starting from April 2025, Antti Hautapakka, the sales and marketing director, will start as CEO of Skaala IFN Oy. Antti Hautapakka has been working at Skaala since 2007. In his new role, he will be responsible for planning and implementing Skaala’s strategy, business growth and profitability, as well as sales and marketing activities, as before.
“I thank Skaala IFN Oy’s board and owners for their trust. My appointment as CEO is another step in Skaala’s development and clarifies responsibilities within the company. I have worked at Skaala for 18 years, so the market, the company, and the people are familiar to me. I am confident that together we can develop Skaala into an even stronger and most desired brand in the window industry according to our vision.”
Antti will be supported in his role as CEO by the management team. Harri Haukilehto and Pekka Hautanen will continue in the management team. Timo Hella will join the management team as the export and product development director.
Investments in the Future
Skaala is heavily investing in the future, as preparations for a 5.6-million-euro wood processing line investment has begun in Ylihärmä. This investment will replace a wood processing line that has been in use for nearly 30 years. Preparations are already underway, and construction work will start next summer. The new line will be operational by the end of 2026, during Skaala’s 70th anniversary.
“With the new line, Skaala’s window production capacity and automation level will increase significantly. With high automation, employees can focus on other tasks, and the increased production capacity will require more employees in the future,” says Hautapakka.
The new wood processing line optimizes material usage and further reduces Skaala’s window manufacturing carbon footprint, as wood blanks are extended with finger joints on the line, practically eliminating wood material waste. Additionally, the line speeds up the window manufacturing process, as all necessary machining for windows is done on the line.
“For us at Skaala, responsibility and domestic production are key principles according to our slogan ‘Respecting our Northern Nature’. We use carefully selected materials and continuously develop environmentally friendly manufacturing processes. The new high-automation production line ensures the manufacturing of windows at Skaala’s main factory in Kauhava, Ylihärmä, for many decades to come,” Hautapakka concludes.