It’s not a storm — it’s the climate
It’s not a storm — it’s the climate
6 June 2026
KONE: Buildings as Recurring Revenue
In this episode of Category Leaders, Colin Brown and Martti Wallin tell the story of KONE a Finnish company whose name literally means “machine” and who only move 2 billion people per day!
It is the story of the break-up of the Russian Empire, strikes, wars, a farm, moral re-armament, innovation, resilience and a singular family who kept moving forward generation by generation, drawn to the land and pulled into the “Machine”.
Mini Timeline
1874 — Harald Herlin is born in Helsinki.
1904 — Harald founds Oy Vesijohtoliike Ab.
1910 — Kone Osakeyhtiö is established.
1912 — Harald buys Thorsvik Manor.
1924 — Harald buys around 80% of KONE from Strömberg.
1932 — Heikki Herlin becomes CEO.
1939 — Winter War begins.
1941 — Harald dies; Heikki carries KONE through wartime responsibility.
1944 — Finland begins war-reparations deliveries; KONE is pulled deeper into cranes and heavy lifting.
1945 — Huoltoliike Konehissi Oy is founded to manage the growing service business.
1956 — Porkkala and Thorsvik are returned to Finland.
1958 — Pekka joins KONE as administrative director.
1964 — Pekka becomes CEO; Heikki becomes chairman.
1968 — KONE and ASEA sign the Nordic elevator partnership agreement.
1974 — KONE acquires Westinghouse’s European elevator business, roughly doubling the company’s size.
1987 — Pekka becomes chairman; Matti Matinpalo becomes the first non-family CEO.
1994 — Pekka cancels the near-sale to Thyssen; KONE buys Montgomery Elevator in the US.
1995 — Pekka and Kirsti create the secret will giving voting control to Antti.
1996 — Antti becomes vice chairman and CEO; KONE launches MonoSpace.
2002 — KONE buys Partek.
2005 — KONE splits into two listed companies: KONE and Cargotec.
2010 — KONE celebrates its 100th anniversary.
2026 — KONE announces its agreement to combine with TK Elevator.