There's much more to the Larox product family than just products; it's a brand that has built international relationships and fostered a sense of community that stands the test of time. Nowadays, Larox is even used as a synonym for filters.
Refer to part one of this series for interviewees’ introductions and a deeper dive into their careers.
The interviewees see many benefits with the Larox product family being a part of the Metso filtration portfolio.
“I think one of the biggest things today is that we are everywhere around the world. Our local presence is great. With the merger of Metso and Outotec in 2020, we were able to reach even the smaller countries”, Tommi Lanki says. “We now have the capability to bring the products to the next level. Even though we have already done that, there is always room for further improvement. The products get bigger and better, and we have funds for further development. This kind of development might not have been possible in the Larox company times.”
Petri Saira has similar views on the benefits of the Metso era. The selection of filters is much wider, and resources are larger, enabling Metso to follow the market’s needs with new products. It is a great strength having the products representing the cutting-edge technology in their own sector. There’s a continuum: Outotec, then Metso Outotec and now Metso. The company has seen the strength of the products through the brand and has taken it under its own umbrella”, Saira says. “The Metso brand creates strength and engagement. We have been with the same customers for decades, solving their filtration problems and we are still involved today as Metso, with bigger and much stronger shoulders”, he continues, highlighting that the foundation lays in the image which the company is committed to solving customers’ problems in the long term.
“Credibility and loyalty are something which Larox products are well known for, our customers around the world recognize that this still walks hand-in-hand with the product family, and already have a trusting feeling of a quality supplier and partner, from the Larox product family name”, Lee Wright agrees.
In addition to keeping up a strong presence, reaching an even larger audience and being able to direct resources on product development, Larox filters have also benefitted the full filtration offering of Metso. ” The same R&D, mechanical, hydraulic, automation, operations and maintenance, spares and wears, technical manuals, documentation - customer and technical support have been standardized between all the filtration technologies we have today, the essence of the learnings and improvements have been implemented throughout the range. There are similarities and familiarization that can be noticed when operating the new Metso range of filtration equipment”, Wright describes.
Due to the acquisitions, mergers and new company names over the years, there is confusion sometimes about where Larox is today. It is good to know that Larox, all its products, history, know-how and expertise are alive and well under the Metso brand.
“Sometimes our customers are surprised to hear that the Larox filters still exist; which is surprising, although understandable, considering how large our portfolio is”, Lanki says. ”You know what you can do
to counteract that? You just keep reminding them. All these Larox filters are a part of the Metso family of filtration solutions”, De la Durantaye adds on the same track as Lanki. “But the slogan has stuck with many, it has not died down. The customers remember it. It is strong and it is true - separates the best from the rest”, Lanki concludes.
It is no secret that to this day, the Larox filtration solutions are very strong and globally well-known. Our interviewees all agree that this is largely thanks to the work that was put in right from the start, but we should also acknowledge the benefits and opportunities that the Metso family and brand have enabled.
“Larox recognized in the very early days a long time ago what the customer really needs - when customers invested into a mineral concentrate or a chemical processing pressure filter, they did not just purchase a piece of process equipment, they purchased a total full customer care after sales service with a global network of dedicated customer support representatives”, says Wright.
“Right from the start there was a vision about the importance of service” Lanki agrees. “At the time, no one else really thought about the aftermarket aspect. It was just about selling the products and that would be it.” Even in the 2000s, it was not uncommon to focus on selling products, delivering manuals and letting customers figure out the rest. “If the customer had any issues, we would be there to help them right away.
So, the strength of the Larox solutions stem from selling the products and not abandoning the customer at any stage – we are right beside them from the beginning with the service, assisting and testing. Knowing what we sell and can verify that later on as well”, Lanki continues. This thinking has carried on to the current scope of Metso, and we’ve taken it even further, and offer a wide range of Life Cycle Services (LCS).
People have always been at the heart of Larox. On top of devotion, hard work and problem-solving, there was time for a community. Former Larox employees share lots of fond memories built around and outside working. Spending time with colleagues and customers from around the world, whether it be the sauna or a friendly ballgame, has created many highlights over the years. Much like today, wonderful colleagues were a big part of the work engagement already decades ago. Many have remained all the way from the beginning years of Larox until now, the Metso times.
”Having and making contacts and friends in this industry is certainly a big part of why I have stayed working for this company. I am happy to say that I am still today collaborating very closely with the same team members whom I have worked with since joining the company in 2002”, Wright says. De la Durantaye has many joyful memories all the way from his earlier years in the company. Visiting Finland was often about freezing temperatures, drilling holes in the ice for a quick swim, and the sauna. “Starting in 1999 up until 2008, we organized a trip for the Canadian mining customers every year, called Finventure. We typically brought around 15 people from Canada, flying from Toronto to Finland. The trips included visiting the Larox offices, Outokumpu mines and Metso’s mobile crushing plant in Tampere. We also went to sauna every night”, de la Durantaye explains. The first night, guests were always reluctant to step into a hot space dedicated to sweating, but eventually, by the end of the trip, those very people would be disappointed if the sauna would need to be cancelled. During these trips, strong relationships and fond memories were built. “I met someone recently who was on a trip in 2004, so 19 years ago, and as soon as he saw me, the first word out of his mouth was Finnventure. He got a big smile on his face and just shook his head. He said: ’I will never forget that trip’. These guys have been all over the world and still to this day those trips are something they never forget. He said it was the best business trip of his life.”
“When we invited the customers to visit, we would go to the sauna. It has been built to a whole brand. Caring for people, having fun with them, being present”, says Lanki with similar experiences. Lanki recalls being in the Philippines at a mining fair in the early 2000s. An Australian approached the stand, noted Lanki’s Larox-shirt and went: “Larox, Larox…” He couldn’t remember what the company does, but he did remember that they were from Finland, and he especially remembered the sauna. He still had his own sauna diploma from the time he visited Finland – it was something extreme and very memorable.
Lanki also tells us about the Larox mining club, which used to bring like-minded people around the world together back in the day. The club would automatically get a membership card, and customers were proud to be a part of something and receive insider information from the field. During his time in Asia, Lanki would run into people who would flip out their 20-year-old Larox mining club cards from the depths of their wallets, going “Look what I still have!” Being a part of a club brought a sense of belonging to the customers, and it was important to them.
All the warm memories built around Larox summarize a key message behind the brand – everything was done in a people-to-people way. This is a part of the message that Metso carries forward today and has succeeded very well. Not only in continuing the same path but making it even better.
Today, Metso has the most comprehensive filtration portfolio on the market with 15 different types available for hundreds of mining and industrial applications. Five filters in the portfolio are under the Larox product family: Larox PF, Larox PF-DS, Larox FFP, Larox RT and Larox RT-GT. Each of these products belongs to the Planet Positive portfolio, which means that their sustainable performance has been evidenced through comparison and data, and as a result, they help our customers reach sustainability priorities such as reducing CO2 emissions and water usage.
Metso has a state-of-the-art, unique Dewatering Technology Center (DTC) in Lappeenranta, Finland. The center is dedicated to the research and testing of dewatering equipment. We have completed more than 14,000 filtration tests and have the capability to carry out end-to-end testing for hundreds of mining and industrial applications.
Still to this day, Larox can be considered a synonym for filters, and Metso’s Larox filters are known as some of the best filters in the world. This is thanks to the long legacy built by talented people over the years and high-quality products.