Nordic Traction Group

What Nordic Traction Group does

Nordic Traction Group, headquartered in Loimaa, Finland, designs and manufactures professional-grade traction chains and forest machine tracks for use on wheeled vehicles operating in snow, ice, mud, and rugged terrain. Its manufacturing programme spans case-hardened boron-alloy steel traction chains produced from wire rod through cutting, welding, and 900°C thermal treatment, together with hydromechanically pressed bogie track plates (Clark Tracks). Multi-brand commercial coverage includes OFA, NordChain (formerly Gunnebo-chains), Tellefsdal Kjetting, and GripX for chains, plus Clark Tracks for forestry machine tracks, with a dedicated defence product line (chain-selector tool and specialised SKUs) targeting NATO procurement.

The company sells B2B on a quote-based pricing model with no publicly disclosed list pricing. Its go-to-market combines direct sales subsidiaries in five countries (Sweden, USA, Canada, Germany, Russia) with an international distributor and dealer network reaching 30+ countries. Channels split between enterprise field sales to forestry, agricultural, construction, and transportation operators, and OEM/embedded supply to vehicle manufacturers and defence procurement agencies, the latter anchored by NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) registration since December 2016. Customer mix includes major defence OEMs (Oshkosh, BAE Systems, Patria, Mercedes-Benz, AM General) as well as forestry OEMs and end operators.

Ownership rests with Swedish family-owned AB Max Sievert, which acquired the group from Accent Equity in 2018. Nordic Traction Group employs 51–100 staff (51–100) and operates from a single integrated manufacturing site in Loimaa following the 2025 consolidation of Clark Tracks production from Scotland. The company is privately held and does not disclose financial results.

Name

Nordic Traction Group

Legal name

Nordic Traction Oy

Website

https://nordictractiongroup.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Nordic Traction Group, headquartered in Loimaa, Finland, designs and manufactures traction chains and forest machine tracks for forestry, agricultural, construction, transportation, and military vehicles. Products are distributed across 30+ countries via five direct sales subsidiaries and an international dealer network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Loimaa

HQ country

Finland

HQ region

Europe

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Traction Chain Sales: Sale of traction chains (OFA, NordChain, Tellefsdal Kjetting, GripX brands) for forestry machines, tractors, trucks, construction equipment, ATVs, and defence vehicles. Revenue is generated through direct sales subsidiaries, distributors, and dealers across 30+ countries.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Nordic Traction Group manufactures and sells professional-grade tire traction chains and forest machine bogie tracks under five brands (OFA, NordChain, Clark Tracks, Tellefsdal Kjetting, GripX). Its core products are steel tire chains and rubber/steel track systems for forestry machines, tractors, trucks, construction equipment, ATVs, and military vehicles (from Stryker APCs to heavy tactical trucks). All traction chains are made from proprietary Nordic micro-alloy case-hardened boron steel at the Loimaa, Finland factory, with sales via direct subsidiaries, distributors, and OEMs in more than 30 countries.

Product overview

Nordic Traction Group is a premium manufacturer of traction chains and forest machine tracks serving professional customers worldwide. The company operates a multi-brand portfolio including OFA, NordChain, Tellefsdal Kjetting, and GripX for traction chains, plus Clark Tracks for forest machine tracks. Production is located in Loimaa, Finland (traction chains) and Dumfries, Scotland (tracks, now consolidated to Loimaa). The company also offers a dedicated defence/ military division featuring specialized chains (Grip 5, RS Army 9, SS+ 8, SS-NK 8, LS+ 8, ATV 7 PRO, Tapio-NK 9, Tapio 11) and supporting accessories (hooks, shackles, fasteners, plug couplers, tools). Products are distributed to over 30 countries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• OFA: Specializes in the manufacture of tire traction chains for forest machines, tractors, trucks, and construction machines. Known for excellent grip, tire protection, and long service life.
• NordChain
• Clark Tracks
• Tellefsdal Kjetting
• GripX

Products and services

• OFA Tire Traction Chains OFA is a registered trademark of Nordic Traction Oy specialising in tire traction chains for forest machines, tractors, trucks, and construction machines. OFA chains deliver grip, tire protection, and a long service life with easy mounting in demanding field conditions. Target customers are professional forestry, agriculture, construction, and transportation operators.
• NordChain Traction Chains (Megastud, Superstud, Piggelin Flex) NordChain is the leading traction chain brand under Nordic Traction Group, including the Megastud, Superstud, and Piggelin Flex chain lines (formerly sold as Gunnebo-chains). The brand covers studded chain systems for heavy trucks and forestry machines with product development and management based in Sweden and production at the Loimaa, Finland plant.
• Clark Tracks Forest Machine Bogie Tracks Clark Tracks designs and manufactures forest machine tracks for Cut-to-Length machines and skidders, ranging from climbing tracks to extreme flotation tracks. Production began in 1988 in Dumfries, Scotland, with over 30 years of experience supplying forestry machinery manufacturers. In 2025, manufacturing was consolidated to the Loimaa, Finland factory.
• Tellefsdal Kjetting Lightweight Traction Chains Tellefsdal Kjetting is the Norwegian traction chain brand with 80 years of experience in manufacturing and selling non-skid chains. It is known for lightweight chains including NorTractor and the well-known U-Grip forestry chain, plus the Quatro program for tractors. The U-Grip forestry chain is now offered under the OFA brand as well.
• GripX Snow Chains GripX is the newest chain brand in Nordic Traction Group's portfolio, manufactured in China according to Nordic Traction Group quality standards. The brand offers competitively priced snow chains for forestry, agriculture, snow cleaning, ATV, 4WD, and transport applications.
• Defence Industry Traction Chains (Grip 5, RS Army 9, SS+ 8, SS-NK 8, LS+ 8, ATV 7 PRO, Tapio-NK 9, Tapio 11) A specialised range of traction chains for defence and military wheeled vehicles, including diamond-pattern chains (Grip 5), studded chains for heavy tactical trucks (RS Army 9), studded and non-studded steering chains (SS+ 8, SS-NK 8), ladder-type chains for mid-size military trucks (LS+ 8), ATV chains (ATV 7 PRO), and tractor/loader chains (Tapio-NK 9, Tapio 11). Products are designed for Joint Light Tactical Vehicles, Stryker APC, Oshkosh JLTV and Medium/Heavy Tactical Vehicles, Patria AMV/XA-Series, Mercedes-Benz Actros/Zetros, BAE Systems RG vehicles, and heavy-duty tactical trucks. The range is supported by a chain selector tool on the dedicated defence subdomain and is supplied under NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) registration.

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Armed Forces (various NATO and international)coreOthersNordic Traction chains are trusted by armed forces worldwide for military vehicles. The company is registered with NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) since December 2016, enabling direct supply to NATO member defence forces. Products serve tactical vehicles, heavy trucks, and military applications requiring arctic mobility.
• NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNordic Traction Oy registered with NSPA since December 2016, enabling the company to supply traction chains directly to NATO defence procurement programmes and member nation armed forces.
• Defence OEMs (Oshkosh, BAE Systems, Patria, Iveco, MAN, DAF, Volvo, Scania, MB, AM General)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNordic Traction chains are designed for and supplied to major defence vehicle OEMs including Oshkosh (JLTV, Medium/Heavy Tactical Vehicles), BAE Systems (RG vehicles), Patria (AMV/XA-Series), MB (Actros/Zetros/Unimog), AM General (JLTV), and commercial truck manufacturers with defence contracts including Iveco, MAN, DAF, Volvo, and Scania.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Pewag: Austrian-headquartered manufacturer of snow chains, tire protection chains, and traction products. Directly competes with Nordic Traction's OFA, NordChain, and Tellefsdal brands across forestry, agricultural, truck, and defense applications, with comparable OEM and aftermarket GTM.
• RUD Group: German manufacturer of chain systems including traction chains (under the Erlau brand) for forestry, agriculture, and military vehicles. Closely comparable to Nordic Traction across product range, target customers, and the integrated chain-plus-tie-down portfolio.
• Veriga: Slovenian chain manufacturer with a long heritage in tire chains and technical chains for industrial use. Competes with Nordic Traction in forestry and agricultural markets across Europe with comparable steel-based chain technology.
• Catene Maggi: Italian manufacturer of snow chains and tire protection products for passenger, commercial, and specialty vehicles. Directly comparable to Nordic Traction in the European winter-traction category and overlapping customer base.
• KWB König: Austrian specialist in snow chains and vehicle traction products. Competes head-to-head with NT's Tellefsdal and GripX brands in the light/medium-duty forestry and transport chain segments.
• Soucy: Canadian manufacturer of tracks and traction solutions for powersports, agriculture, forestry, and industrial vehicles. Directly comparable to Nordic Traction's Clark Tracks in forest machine bogie tracks and complementary rubber/polyurethane track technology.

Broad incumbents

• Camso (Michelin): Now part of Michelin, Camso is a global leader in rubber tracks for agricultural, construction, and snowmobile applications. Overlaps with Nordic Traction's Clark Tracks in forestry and adjacent off-road track markets but operates at substantially larger scale and broader scope.
• Trelleborg Wheel Systems: Swedish-based manufacturer of engineered polymer and rubber solutions, including tires and tracks for agricultural and forestry machines. Adjacent competitor in the forestry machine mobility space where NT sells tracks and chains.
• Tsubakimoto Chain: Japanese industrial chain manufacturer with global presence in power transmission and conveyor chains. Overlaps with Nordic Traction in steel-chain manufacturing know-how and forestry/industrial end-markets, though not a direct snow-chain specialist.
• Bridgestone: Global tire and rubber products major with forestry, agricultural, and OTR tire lines that compete for the same OEM fitment slots Nordic Traction targets via chains. Acts as both an adjacent competitor (tires that obviate chains in some conditions) and a potential OEM partner.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/nordictraction
• Facebookfacebook.com/nordictraction
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nordic-traction-group

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Nordic Traction Group