Home > Operations > History

History

As a business, the KWH Group goes right back to the '20s and '30s, when Oy Keppo Ab and Oy Wiik & Höglund Ab were founded. Although the company has stayed a family-owned business, it is structurally completely different from the company that was formed through the merger between Keppo and Wiik & Höglund in 1984. In 1988 the strategic development took another turn as the independent and financially responsible divisions demerged and the parent company became more of an investment company.

In 1986 when KWH Freeze was acquired a new business sector, cold storage, was incorporated into the Group. KWH Freeze of today concentrates on cold storage and rental of storage facilities but in the past business has ranged from operating a fishrefinery to transporting foodstuffs.

Oy Etelän Jää- Söder Is Ab, today KWH Freeze Ltd, was founded on February 12th 1965. In
1968 business in Inkoo grew to include commercial cold storage and in 1973 operations
expanded further as cold storage facilities were built in Vantaa. By 1984 the storage capacity
had sixfolded from 2500 m² to 15 000 m². After this phase of rapid expansion focus
shifted to integration and development of existing functions.

Finland's joining the EU on Jan. 1st 1995 boosted demand for cold storage and
KWH Freeze entered a new period of expansion. Between 1994 and 2002 the
total storage space doubled to 30 000 m². Investments and means of
development are mainly aimed at improving core business, e.g. storing and
handling frozen foodstuffs. Thanks to consolidation KWH Freeze has been
able to keep up with the market's constantly growing need for cold
storage facilities.