The Story of SOL – Over 30 Years of Sunny Service  

The family business SOL was founded in 1992, but its roots go back to the 19th century. Did you know that the company got its sunny name based on staff name suggestions?  

At the beginning of 1992, Liisa Joronen founded a company called SOL Cleaning Services Oy. Alice’s grandfather Johan Roiha had founded a whitewash in 1913. Grandfather’s company has expanded after he had bought Lindström Oy in 1922. This business had already been founded in 1848 by colour master C.A. Lindström. When Liisa bought part of her family owned Lindström Oy in 1991, it can be said that the history of the current Sol dates back to the 19th century.  

Development of leadership and growth from the very beginning  

SOL’s sunny name was chosen based on staff name suggestions. The company immediately got off to a good start, as the turnover was already about 30 million euros in 1993 and the number of employees was about 2,300.  

From the beginning, the CEO of the company was Anu Eronen and Liisa Joronen was the Chairman of the Board. Liisa was interested in leadership and the internal growth of staff, and she defended her doctorate at the University of Helsinki in 1993. The topic of the dissertation was “Prerequisites for professional growth in an organization”. From the very beginning, education and sociology studies were applied to one’s own company.    

New conquests and growth  

SOL grew when, in 1996, SOL acquired Rikaton Oy, which became SOL Ympäristöpalvelut Oy. This company was sold in 1999 to a German operator. From 1999 to 2001, SOL also worked as a renter of textiles and carpets. SOL TEKSTIILALVELUT Oy was sold to Lindström.   

Originally, consumer washing services were left to Lindström. In 2001, laundry services also became part of the SOL Group and functioned as SOL Pesulapalvelut Oy.  

SOL has been providing real estate services since the 1990s. In the 2000s, the company developed both real estate services and facility services significantly.   

At the end of the 2000s, SOL also significantly expanded its security services, including guarding and security inspection services. At the end of the decade, SOL was among the five largest security service providers in Finland.   

In 2009, SOL expanded into personnel services when it acquired a limited liability company that provides personnel rental and recruitment services.  Today, the service is managed by SOL Henkilöstöpalvelut Oy.  

After the diversification of operations, the name of the company operating in cleaning, business premises and real estate services was changed to SOL Palvelut Oy, whose parent company since the beginning of 2008 has been SOLEMO Oy.   

SOL launched its international operations in Estonia in 2001 and has expanded to Latvia, Lithuania, Sweden and Denmark.  

Generation change  

Since September 2011, Peppi Kaira has been the CEO ofthe Group’s parent company SOLEMO Oy. Pippi is the daughter of Liisa Joronen. Liisa’s son Juhapekka Joronen works on the boards of SOL companies.   

Jussi Holopainen was appointed CEO of SOL Palvelut Oy in 2021. Maria Rantala has been the CEO  of SOL Pesulapalvelut Oy since 2024.