In 1982, a young man named Seppo Pelkkala, freshly discharged from military service, was looking for work. When he read in the newspaper about the pioneering work being done at a rapidly growing company called Lillbacka, he thought – that’s where I want to work. And he did. At the end of this year, Seppo will retire after an impressive 43-year career in electrical and electronics installation and design at Lillbacka. His work has left a lasting legacy in Finn-Power control systems.

Seppo began his career at Lillbacka in the 1980s as an electronics installer. Alongside his work, Seppo qualified as a work technician and later took on a designer role within the sheet metal processing center business, which had been launched in 1985.

“In 1985 we started manufacturing sheet metal processing centers, and that’s when things really took off. Helicopters were flying around, and I even got to go on a service trip using the company’s airplane. It really felt like big-league business.”

When the crimping and sheet metal businesses were separated in the 1990s, Seppo moved on to designing crimping control systems – a role he has continued in for the past three decades.

Four decades of Finn-Power technology

Over the decades, Seppo has witnessed – and through his own work enabled – the development of Finn-Power control systems, from simple analog controls to today’s intelligent touchscreen interfaces. Alongside his day-to-day work, Seppo also designed and developed the first Finn-Power quality control option, which was patented. In the early days, Seppo was also involved in developing the company’s first microprocessor-based crimping control. It has also not been unheard of to find Seppo immersed in other tasks, such as repairing forklifts or building measurement sensors for snowmobiles.

“Seppo has played a key role in developing our various control system versions. He has a depth of knowledge and expertise in controls that is very hard to match”, says Timo Taipalus, Lillbacka’s Chief Product & Innovation Officer, who has worked with Seppo since the 1990s.

A solution-oriented mindset

Seppo’s strengths include calmness, thoroughness, and a solution-oriented mindset. Rather than replacing parts and moving on, he believes problems must first be properly diagnosed. His problem-solving abilities have not gone unnoticed – Seppo has advised service teams during repairs, and some customers and distributors even contact him directly when in need of assistance. In recent years, Seppo has also been able to pass on his knowledge to a very special colleague – his son, who works at Lillbacka as a laboratory engineer. The Pelkkala family’s service to the company thus continues into the second generation.

Seppo’s solution-oriented nature is also illustrated by the following story. When a local appliance repair shop went bankrupt, it turned out that Seppo had inherited the shop’s old phone number. When customers started calling about repairing televisions and other appliances, Seppo simply replied: “Sure, I’ll take a look”. What started as a coincidence has since grown into a small side business that Seppo continues in his free time.

“I have been able to bring my ideas into the final product”

Seppo will officially retire on 1 January 2026. His days will be filled with appliance repair work, dogs, hunting, and old cars. Seppo has enjoyed working at Lillbacka for several reasons, but above all because he has been able to work on things he enjoys working on, in his own way, and within a workplace community he feels comfortable in.

“I’ve been able to influence my own work and have had a lot of freedom in how I do it. I’ve been allowed to bring my ideas into the final product and define how it should work. I’ve always been interested in building the visible parts rather than what’s hidden inside. I enjoy working in slightly smaller circles, and designing control systems for crimpers has been exactly that. At Lillbacka, everyone knows each other, and there truly is that well-known family atmosphere.”

One particular story about his employer has stayed with Seppo over the years.

“During the recession of the 1990s, there was a lot of uncertainty, and I hesitated about whether it was wise to start building a house. Jorma Lillbacka simply said, ‘This will work out,’ and went out to sell machines. Not every company leader does sales work, but Jorma led by example. We made it through the recession – and I ended up building that house. I want to sincerely thank Lillbacka for these years. I also want to thank my customers and wish them all the very best going forward.”

Timo Taipalus adds:

“Even after more than four decades with us, Seppo has retained an exceptional ability to innovate and create new solutions. His calmness is another major strength – he has never lost his composure, even in difficult situations. Trusted professionals like Seppo bring stability, continuous improvement, and invaluable expertise for us, for new employees, and for our customers alike. We extend our heartfelt thanks to Seppo for these decades.”

Jorma Lillbacka, Pekka Lillbacka, and the entire Board and staff of Lillbacka Powerco Oy thank Seppo Pelkkala for his long and dedicated service and wish him a fulfilling retirement filled with the roar of a V8 and plenty of hunting luck!