Customer story: Kuljetus Tuominen Oy – hooked on VAK products since 1987
Kuljetus Tuominen Oy
Kuljetus Tuominen Oy is a family-run transport company from Vahto, now in its fourth generation. The versatile, modern fleet can handle almost any type of transport across the Southwest Finland region.
Entrepreneur Ari Tuominen has relied on VAK hooklift systems for more than 30 years, actively contributing to product development by testing equipment and sharing his own ideas. VAK paused its hooklift production for several years, but Tuominen was among the customers who wanted to see production resume in 2013. VAK revamped its hooklift range at the turn of 2013–2014.
In June 2025, Tuominen received yet another new VAK hooklift – their tenth in succession.
Ari, can you tell us about your first VAK product?
“It all began in 1987, when we came to buy a cassette trailer chassis. Lassi (Virtanen, founder of VAK) brought us a VAK hooklift and challenged me to ‘try and break it’. I couldn’t break it, and that marked the start of our long-standing partnership with VAK.
In fact, our collaboration goes back even further, to the early 1950s. Back then, the founder of our company – my grandfather – worked together with “Lauri’s workshop”, run by Lauri, who was Lassi Virtanen’s father. Our family business, now in its fourth generation, was founded by my grandfather in 1952, a year after we received our operating licence.”
How has your collaboration with VAK been?
“I’ve been extremely pleased with our partnership with VAK. It makes things easy when the factory is close by and the maintenance service is reliable. I’ve had the opportunity to take part in product development and contribute my own ideas to the products.
“Alongside the hooklifts, we also have seven trailers delivered by VAK.”
Could you tell us about your latest VAK hooklift?
“This is already our 10th VAK hooklift. My son Antti will be the one using it. The vehicle is a VAK LK26 model, 6.5 metres long, and comes with a wide range of features.
“Of course we’ll be taking it to the Power Truck Show in August as well,” says Ari’s son Antti.
We wish the Tuominen family many safe and profitable miles with their new equipment!