Joensuu Diesel Service Celebrates 65 Years: A New Chapter at Autoexperten

Joensuu Dieselhuolto has been part of the Finnish automotive industry since 1961. It has evolved from a repair shop to a spare parts store, from a local business to a regional wholesaler, and is now part of the Kaha Group and the Autoexperten network. Antti Hentunen, Joensuu Dieselhuolto’s longtime CEO and current leader, says that the chain’s logo on the roof isn’t what matters most to customers. What matters most are trust, service, availability, and the ability to help repair shop customers succeed.

Joensuu Dieselhuolto’s eventful history continues

Founded in 1961, the company became part of the Kaha Group following a corporate acquisition completed in June 2026. At the same time, the Joensuu and Kitee locations joined the Autoexperten chain, and Joensuu Dieselhuolto began operating as a local Autoexperten regional distributor. The company, its locations, and its staff will continue as before, but they now have the backing of a large Nordic organization.

The timing of the change is fitting. Joensuu Dieselhuolto is celebrating its 65th anniversary this year. The company’s history dates back to a time when the number of cars and tractors in North Karelia was growing rapidly. In its early decades, Joensuu Dieselhuolto combined spare parts sales with repair services. Later, the business shifted its focus increasingly toward the spare parts business, and at the turn of the 1990s, the repair shop operations were discontinued.

Joining the Kaha Group means more than just a change in the retail chain: it is a sign of the transformation of Finland’s aftermarket. National and Nordic networks have emerged alongside local spare parts stores; logistics are being streamlined; and repair shops are increasingly requiring not only spare parts but also information, systems, and training.

The third ownership phase lasted over 20 years

Antti Hentunen purchased Joensuu Dieselhuolto in 2005. He views the company’s history to date as three periods, each lasting about two decades.

“The company was founded in 1961. I was the third owner. The first owners ran the company for about 20 years, the next ones for about 20 years, and I’ve been involved for just over 20 years,” Hentunen says. 

The spare parts business has been the core business of Joensuu Dieselhuolto throughout the 2000s. Hentunen saw joining a chain as an opportunity to respond to the intensifying competition in the spare parts market right from the start. The company joined the Fixus chain in 2005.  

The landscape is changing 

As a result of the business transaction, Joensuu Dieselhuolto transferred from Hentunen’s ownership to the Kaha Group and Autoexperten. Jari Pellonperä of Kaha serves as the company’s CEO, and Hentunen continues as manager of the Joensuu and Kitee locations. Day-to-day local operations remain largely his responsibility. 

However, the change in ownership does not mean that Hentunen is stepping away from the company he has spent more than two decades building.

The chain’s sign alone isn’t the deciding factor

Joensuu Dieselhuolto’s long history also offers a unique perspective on the evolution of chain stores. The company has weathered the era of the spare parts store, when personal relationships, a local warehouse, and the telephone were at the heart of the business. In today’s business model, logistics, digital systems, data, and networks are crucial factors for customers. 

“What matters most to customers is that the supplier is reliable, follows the right procedures, and gets things done—whether it’s invoicing, warranties, product delivery, or customer service. We need to take an interest in our customers and be involved in growing and developing their businesses,” says Hentunen.

According to Hentunen, the importance of the supply chain to the customer is the next most important factor. “Through the network, a repair shop can access resources such as software, training, marketing, pricing solutions, and logistics,” he emphasizes. Hentunen believes that the importance of networks will continue to grow in the future. 

Reaching the Nordic Level Through Autoexperten 

Autoexperten is a repair shop chain founded by KGK in Sweden in 1996. The network includes over 400 repair shops in Sweden, Norway, and the Baltic countries. Kaha introduced the Autoexperten concept to the Finnish market in 2025. Kaha, in turn, is part of the Swedish family-owned KGK Group, which operates in Sweden, Norway, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. 

Joensuun Dieselhuoto serves as a local regional distributor, providing spare parts logistics and support services to the repair shops in the Autoexperten chain network. At the same time, the company continues to serve other repair shop customers and consumers. 

Stores Are Being Renovated – Spare Parts Selection Is Expanding

Joensuu Dieselhuolto is celebrating its 65th anniversary with a series of renovations. “A store renovation is getting underway at the Joensuu location, followed by Kitee. Our selection of spare parts is also growing significantly,” says Antti Hentunen. 

This time, the anniversary is being combined with a presentation of the renovated stores and the new operating model to customers. “If things were reasonably good before this, I believe they’ll be even better going forward, especially for business customers,” says Hentunen. 

Electrification is progressing at different paces in Finland

Autoexperten’s expansion is taking place at the same time that the technical operating environment for repair shops is changing rapidly. Electrification is increasing the need for training, diagnostics, data, and new types of tools. Hentunen points out, however, that the transition is not proceeding at the same pace throughout Finland. “To be perfectly honest, our main business here in North Karelia is still focused on basic vehicles and standard cars,” says Hentunen.

Hentunen estimates that the situation is different, for example, in the Helsinki metropolitan area and in the Tampere and Turku regions, where a higher proportion of company cars and fleet vehicles is accelerating the shift to electric vehicles.

Still, he says, expertise in servicing electric vehicles cannot be ignored. Its importance is growing, and the network must be able to develop its expertise as the vehicle fleet changes. 

Price pressure is shifting from the customer to the repair shop and the auto parts store

Alongside the technological shift, the aftermarket is taking a back seat in the price race. According to Hentunen, price sensitivity is clearly evident in Eastern Finland. 

When a driver turns to a repair shop for a more affordable solution, the repair shop, in turn, begins to look for alternative products from wholesalers. In this way, the consumer’s cost pressure is passed down through the entire aftermarket chain. “Costs are rising. Repair shop customers want more affordable products, so repair shops ask us for them. That’s when price competition also comes into play.”

However, Hentunen does not prioritize price over service. In the spare parts business, reliable delivery, handling warranty issues, and getting the right part quickly still matter a great deal. 

The spare parts business is still a people business

Ownership structures and chains may change, but the staff at Joensuu Dieselhuolto remains the same. Currently, 12 people work at Joensuu Dieselhuolto: nine in Joensuu and three in Kitee. According to Hentunen, employment at the Joensuu location has generally been long-term, and staff turnover has been low. 

At the time of the interview, the company was also looking to hire a new employee for spare parts sales. About a hundred applications had been received. Even Hentunen was surprised by the number. He estimated that among them were 10–15 applicants whose skills made them suitable for the position. However, technical expertise alone isn’t enough. “We need to find someone who fits in with the team and understands the company’s values and ways of doing things. It’s not something that just happens,” he says.

Customer relationships can span generations

The same continuity is evident among customers. When Hentunen bought the company in 2005, some of the current customers were already clients of Joensuu Dieselhuolto. Since then, there have been generational transitions at those companies: the older generation of entrepreneurs has stepped aside, and the next generation has taken their place.

Hentunen estimates that, during his time as an entrepreneur, some of the client companies have already transitioned to the second generation. Customer expectations have also changed. The new generation of entrepreneurs is exploring alternatives more actively than before. You can no longer assume that a client relationship will continue simply because it has lasted twenty years.