TMK Machinery & NCD Equipment celebrates 10 years in the UK market for TMK
UK was the first export market for TMK Tree Shears that opened up in 2014. And there is a very funny story behind all that.
The beginning
As you probably know Tenho (our CEO and founder) made the first TMK Tree Shear in 2009. Well it wasn’t very pretty or very sturdy, however over the next couple years it was turned into a market defining product that gathered a lot of interest in Finland. How it got that interest was through youtube videos that Tenho made with his son using his iPad and some clever filming techniques, mainly holding the iPad against the excavator windshield with his foot.
(you can see the other videos here & here)
Surprise contact from UK
And so in 2014 this guy called Nick happened to stumble upon one of these first videos of TMK Tree Shear in action and he immediately thought to himself, “that is something that we need in the UK”. Just moments later Nick was compiling an email to Tenho about wanting to sell this unique piece of tree clearing equipment. Now as you may know Tenho’s english (especially at the time) was atrocious, so when the email reached Tenho’s eyes, he didn’t really understand what it said. With the help of his good friend Google Translator and some extra help from the family, he was able to get the idea. In the email Nick was asking loads of questions about the shear and at the end he enquired whether Tenho was interested in selling the shear also in the UK. Now this was quite intimating to Tenho as he had just sold the shears in Finland and pretty much knew all the buyers himself. But as he didn’t want to say no right away, he came up with a ingenious plan where he invited Nick to come to Finland if he is serious about becoming a TMK dealer. Tenho thought that there is no way this random guy from another country would be willing to come meet a total stranger. Two weeks later the bearded gentleman from Essex landed Helsinki airport and Tenho was facing another problem. Google Translator doesn’t help him here as the enthusiastic fella from UK started his gibberish with an amazing tempo. So Tenho quickly turned to his oldest son, Tony, to help him navigate through this complicated language.
Teemu (Tenho’s second son), Nick and Tony (Tenho’s oldest son) enjoying a boat ride on the Nick’s first trip to Finland in August 2014. Just a moment later Nick found himself butt-naked in the Sauna while being whipped by a Finnishman with a bunch of birch leaves. Perfect start for a successful partnership, no?
Thankfully for TMK and Nick, Nick survived that experience and the trip went really well. And so they agreed to start exporting to UK together. Next year Tenho and his family flew to UK for the first expo abroad which they agreed to organize in cooperation with Nick. The expo went well and not long after Nick decided to establish his own company around selling TMK Tree Shears called NCD Equipment. The name of NCD comes from Nick’s initials (naming tactic straight out of Tenho’s playbook).
Here are pictures from the first expo in the UK.
Ready for the trip in the Helsinki-Vantaa Airport. From the left Tony , Tuulia (Tony’s wife), Tenho and Teemu. First work trip abroad, so they were buzzing with excitement!
Teemu explaining the features of the shear to the customers while Tenho seems to be already thinking about new improvements to the design.
Nick absolutely mastering the art of pitching with couple of potential customers.
Market took the new shear in with open arms and interest was high right from the start.
10 years of partnership
Fast forward to this day, Nick and NCD Equipment has sold over thousand TMK Tree Shears and TMK MultiGrabs.
TMK is proud to have NCD Equipment as a partner and with the release of TMK Grapple Saw and TMK Hold & Cut in the APF 2024 exhibition, we are tackling a new segment of the market in the UK.
Here are some photos with little stories behind them over the years.
Nick after successfully testing the first shear in the UK on his mates Hitachi. This is where the idea of creating a business around this was born. Time to order more shears from TMK while the first one is getting some hours under its belt. 1.11.2014
Nick delivering his first ever sold tree shear! Shear was sold early January, and delivered at the end of January when bracket and hoses were all ready. In the first year of operation Nick sold 50 tree shears! 28.1.2015
In the summer of 2015 Nick was invited to the factory in Multia to take the delivery of the 300th TMK Tree Shear ever manufactured. The shear was marked with the #300 on the side to celebrate the milestone, but customers thought it meant for the model name of the shear. As the shear’s maximum cutting capacity was 300mm, that’s exactly what we did and since the name TMK 300 was born. 24.6.2015
TMK #300 was sold to EJM Tree Services and the sale included a trip to Finland to see where the shears are being made and to meet the Koponen family. In the photo are Nick and Eddy Mant from EJM enjoying a skinny dip into the pool in the chilly temperatures of May, 14.5.2016.
Nick giving a go with and old Zetor 25 at the back yard of the Jari-Pekka service station in Hankasalmi Finland. A machinery guy is a machinery guy as the imperssion on Nick’s face might tell. 15.5.2016
After the tractor ride it was time for a different type of horse power. Nick has also done some horse back riding while he was in the army, so it was time to freshen the memories again. 15.5.2016
Tony and Nick in the great US and A. This time in Boston on the North England Grows exhibition to meet some business partners on the other side of the pond. 1.12.2016
Nick has toured loads of different expos to spread the gospel of the TMK products along the years, this time in the APF Exhibition at Ragley Estate admiring the chainsaw carvings. 22.9.2018
NCD Equipment also ventured to the French market in 2016, this time in Forexpo in Mimizan. We ran out of French flyers during the expo so Tony and Nick headed to the printer shop and of course the Frenchmen were enjoying their lunch break and the printshop was closed for an hour. It was half an hour trip between the printshop and expo, so Tony and Nick decided that it makes no sense going back to the show and then head right back, so the boys headed to the beach. Of course there were no swimwear packed for the trip to the printer, but luckily the weather was a bit poor and the beach was empty. So perfect opportunity for another skinny dip! As the boys were coming out of the water, an unlucky tractor driver is just driving by cleaning the beach of debris and had to witness the two shining white bums as the boys ran for their clothes. 16.6.2016
Big part of the NCD Equipment’s success on the UK market was due to Nick being very active in the beginning to organise demos in different parts of the country to show how well the TMK performs in the customers own machine. This photo is taken from NCD’s demo days in Royston. From the left, Nick, Huw and Tony. On the background is also Nick’s sister Emma and Nick’s own office dog Fred overseeing the action. 10.3.2017
Year 2019 was exciting times for TMK as the building of the TMK’s very own factory was taking place. Here Nick is making sure the Sauna and bathroom at the factory is up to the high excpectations and standards. Nick was responsible for the star lighting on the ceiling and his handy work can be still inspected at the factory. While Nick is posing for the camera, Tiina (Tenho’s wife) is installing the foil to block steam and to create insulation for the ceiling. 24.11.2019
TMK’s factory was also turned into a miniatyre cake for the Grand Opening and Nick is obviously eager to have a bite! 28.11.2019
TMK Factory’s Grand Opening! Obviously Nick had a little speech, being the first importer of TMK’s history, and Tony did his best to try to translate to the audience. You can see the desperation in Tony’s eyes though! 29.11.2019
Nick and Carly tied the knot and the Koponen family had the honor to be present on their big day! From the left, Tuulia (Tony’s wife), Tiina (Tenho’s wife), Carly, Nick, Tenho and Tony. And the TMK boys obviously rocking black and yellow! 10.9.2022
TMK’s Machinery Day at the factory in Finland. From the left Callum, Charlie and Nick. Nick had to shave his beard off due to some sort of rash and we have still not recovered from the sight! Tiina even didn’t recognise Nick as he arrived and just thought that it was weird that this stranger sounds exactly like Nick.
TMK boys visiting NCD HQ. From the left, Patrik, Andrew, Nick, Tony, Keith, Charlie and Callum. 23.3.2022
And the story goes on!
Thank you Nick, the whole NCD team and all the people in the background for these past 10 years. And as Tony put it “There’s still bushes to be trimmed in the British countryside. First decade down, many to go!”.
