Beneq introduces new growth strategy and company structure – Jukka Nieminen appointed President

Press release from Beneq: Jukka Nieminen(46), M Sc (Tech), has been appointed President of Beneq Oy as of 1.1.2016. Sampo Ahonen (46), M Sc (Tech), who has since 2005 served as the CEO of Beneq, will continue as the Chairman of the Board.

 

Jukka Nieminen (left) and Sampo Ahonen (right).

The Board of Directors of Beneq Oy has also decided upon a plan to merge Beneq’s fully-owned subsidiary Beneq Products Oy with the mother company as of 1.1.2016. The combined entity Beneq Oy will have net sales of approximately 21 MEUR with a staff of 125 in Finland, the USA, Germany, Russia and China.

”Jukka is an experienced, proven and successful leader in technology businesses, who has familiarized himself with Beneq as the Vice President responsible for Sales, Marketing and Business Development during 2015. I am convinced that Beneq will benefit from Jukka’s rich experience and leadership. I am leaving the daily management of the company in his hands with high confidence,” says Sampo Ahonen.

“Beneq is a very interesting technology company. It has a clear strategy, which is based on special knowledge, own development and manufacturing, and a global customer base. I am highly motivated to guide it,” comments Jukka Nieminen.

A new growth strategy with ALD coatings as a service

Beneq is the leading global supplier of atomic layer deposition (ALD) equipment and thin film coating services, and world's premier manufacturer of thin film electroluminescent (TFEL) displays.

Beneq equipment and thin film services are used for example for improving the performance and durability of electronics, optics and solar cells, and for protecting sensitive products and materials from tarnishing, humidity and corrosion. The competitiveness of the business unit is based on fast and continuous manufacturing capability and unique ALD equipment that allows creation of conformal and pinhole-free thin film coatings in large batches and in industrial-scale with revolutionary roll-to-roll and spatial ALD concepts.

“In the next phase, Beneq will implement a growth strategy by offering outsourced coating services on the basis of the unique equipment and skills of the employees at the Espoo plant. We believe that coating development done as a service in close collaboration with the customers meets the requirements of global industries and will significantly increase the market for both thin film coating services and equipment,” says Jukka Nieminen about the focus of next year.

Growth opportunities in customized and transparent displays

Beneq’s rugged, transparent and customized Lumineq displays are used in a wide array of applications in extreme conditions where reliability is important. The displays are based on the ALD technology and manufactured in Espoo, Finland,in the electroluminescent display factorywhich Beneq acquired in 2012 and which has been operating under the subsidiary Beneq Products Oy.

”Growth opportunities in the display business are seen especially in the fully transparent TASEL displays, which combine aesthetics with superior reliability and a unique see-through viewing experience. We also see growth potential in customized durable displays which Beneq can tailor to suit the customers’ needs,” concludes Nieminen.