Milestone in Motion: How Pump Service Took a Leap Into Large-Scale Projects
After years of steady growth in and around Helsinki, Pump Service River Oy is now navigating new waters. What began with vacuum trucks and pump stations has evolved into something much larger: a clean water infrastructure project in Eastern Finland that represents not just a new revenue stream, but a fundamental leap in scale and ambition.
From Core Business to Clean Water Expansion
“We were already serving nearly every major client in Helsinki,” says MD Jani Hämäläinen. “To grow further, we had to look outward, and upward.”
The company began exploring new business segments beyond traditional pump service and found a natural fit in municipal infrastructure projects. “We saw public bids coming up that required exactly the kind of know-how we’ve developed over the last 15 years,” Jani explains. “It was all about connecting the dots between what we already do well.”
That dot-connecting led to the company’s biggest contract to date: a municipal project involving four large pump stations, 100 cubic meters of clean water storage, and roughly four kilometres of clean water pipeline. Located in a small city in Eastern Finland, Rantasalmi, the project supports growing infrastructure demands driven by a popular, fast-expanding hotel, Järvi sydän.
“The name says it all: Pump Service. We build, fix, and maintain pump stations. But now, we’re adding new elements, like clean water systems and long-distance piping.”
The First Bid, and the Win
“This was the first time we ever placed a public bid of this size,” Jani says. “And we won.”
How? Pump Service priced competitively by relying on its in-house capabilities. “All we needed to subcontract was the excavation. Everything else – from electrical systems to automation to installation – we do ourselves. That made our offer smoother, faster, and more affordable.”
The project is also a reflection of Pump Service’s philosophy: to grow responsibly, step by step. Except this time, the step felt more like a leap. “We knew we had the knowledge and experience,” Jani adds. “But executing a project of this scale is a whole different ballgame.”
It’s not just a step forward. It’s a leap.
Learning by Doing and Proving Capability
Planning began in autumn 2024. The team broke ground in summer 2025. Three weeks into the project, the results are already promising.
“It’s a mindset shift,” Jani admits. “Signing a contract this size felt like a risk even though we knew we could deliver. But once we got started, the fear faded.”
The project has been closely monitored by municipal clients and technical supervisors. “We’re usually two people in meetings with six specialists watching us,” he laughs. “But it’s a great learning opportunity. They hold us to high standards, and we’re meeting them.”
The total contract value is around €800,000. Following the spring 2025 acquisition of Suomen Jätevesipalvelut, the company now has a total of 35 employees, and this project represents a significant benchmark. “We’re not celebrating yet,” Jani says. “We’ll wait until we deliver the full project, then we can give each other a well-deserved pat on the back.”
From Regional Roots to National Reach
Pump Service’s new clean water division is growing alongside its traditional segments. And while their core client base remains in Helsinki, this project has given the company its first real foothold in other parts of the country.
“We didn’t just want to increase revenue, we wanted to increase our relevance,” Jani says. “We wanted to prove that our team and our structure could handle larger, more complex contracts.”
He describes the company’s current state as a testing ground. “We might stay at this level for a year or two to solidify what we’ve learned. Or maybe we’re already ready for the next step up. This project will help us find out.”
A Leap, Not Just a Step
The project has boosted Pump Service’s total revenue by more than €1.2 million, an increase beyond their already strong organic growth. “It’s not just a step forward,” Jani says. “It’s a leap.”
With two months remaining on the build, the hardest part is already behind them. What’s next? “Once this is done, we’ll have a perfect reference for even bigger projects. We want to challenge ourselves. We’re confident we can grow into it.”
In other words, this is not just a new job for Pump Service. It’s a new chapter, and possibly the start of a whole book.
