Ponsse's 30th anniversary party is organised on board the Viking Cinderella, and the guests are taken by surprise when a completely new 2001 product family with Mercedes-Benz engines is launched.

The latest addition to the product family is the Beaver harvester.

At the same time OptiControl, a digital control system created as a result of Ponsse's own development work, is launched.

Retailers open in Canada, ALPA New Brunswick / Lacroix Quebec.

The Finnish Forest Association grants Einari a golden medal for his special and long-term contribution to the forest industry in Finland.

The Finnish Forest Association gives the following reasons for the selection: "Einari Vidgrén is awarded for his unique entrepreneurship, as a result of which one of the world's leading manufacturing companies of forest machinery has been established in Finland. When Einari noticed that the machines manufactured by others were not satisfactory, he decided to build one himself."

A new machine, BuffaloDual, was introduced in Pärnävaara, Liperi. 

Ponsse receives an honourable mention in the Fennia Prize 2003 design competition.

Einari's 60-year celebration tour, the Ponsse Road Show, travels through ten different locations across the country in the early spring.

The 3,000th forest machine manufactured by Ponsse is handed over to Kone-Korpi Oy in Tolosenmäki, Kitee in March.

The new 2004 product line is launched in Aittokoski, Sonkajärvi in November. In connection with the new line, Ponsse introduces Remote Service, the first ever real-time remote service connection in the forest machine industry.

Mrs. Tarja Halonen, the President of Finland, awards Ponsse for its achievements in international business operations.

The award is received by Ponsse’s Chairman of the Board, Einari Vidgrén, at the presidential residence.

Ponsse decided to establish a subsidiary OOO Ponsse in Russia. Retail agreement with Zeppelin Russland in Russia.

Ponsse becomes the main owner of Epec Oy, a company in Seinäjoki manufacturing machine control systems.

Retail agreement with Hydromec in the Quebec region.

Ponsse Ladies is founded. The significance of the spouses of the forest machine contractors in the family enterprises is recognised and the spouses are invited to participate in the operations. Ponsse Ladies begins operating at Metko in 2004.

Ponsse’s 35 years of operation are celebrated at the Vieremä factory extension with 2,200 guests.

Einari receives the "Vuoden metsäteko" award in recognition of his contribution to the forest sector.

Einari is rewarded by Nordea Bank and the Society of Finnish Professional Foresters for establishing a foundation that increases the appreciation of mechanised harvesting, and for his involvement in setting up a scientific fund.

The factory extension, including an assembly hall and a customer service centre, is completed.

The new facilities of the Iisalmi Service Centre are completed.

Erkki Tarvainen, Einari's first ever employee, retires in February 2005.

The Ponsse Latin America office is established in Brazil in July 2005, but still without operation. In 2006, activities intensified, with the inaugural event officially taking place in April 2006. (to learn more about the history of Ponsse Brasil, click here)

Ponsse Latin America is established in Brazil in April. Ponsse acquires 92% of the shares of Lako Oy.

Einari establishes a foundation bearing his name in April.

The purpose of the foundation is to make the entrepreneurship related to wood harvesting better known and to make the mechanised harvesting sector more interesting as an employer, especially among the young.

Ponsse announced the sponsorship contracts with javelin thrower Tero Pitkämäki, WRC-driver Mikko Hirvonen and the hockey team KalPa.

Retail agreement with Chadwick-BaRoss, Maine.
Retail agreement with Babcock Africa, Republic of South Africa.

The new Bear harvester and Elephant forwarder are introduced in the Metko exhibition.

In January, the International Road Show tour starts from Einari's home farm Mäkelä in Vieremä.

More than 700 customers are invited to a night show to witness the first show of the tour. The tour introduces the new PONSSE Bear harvester, which is demonstrated in Sweden, Latvia, Germany, Austria, France and the UK. The tour ends at the Elmia fair in Jönköping, Sweden at the beginning of June.

Ponsse begins cooperation with the Moscow State Forest University. The goal is to offer extensive training in the cut-to-length method in cooperation with the biggest forestry university in Russia.

Ponsse wants to be actively involved in the development of the business in Russia, and it sees the Moscow State University as having an important role as a developer and future builder of the Russian forest and harvesting industry.

In November, Ponsse establishes a subsidiary in China.

The company will especially support wood harvesting mechanisation operations on Stora Enso China’s eucalyptus plantations in southern China.
The company headquarters are located in Beihai.

Ponsse launches a 10-wheel forwarder in October.

Ponsse has been involved in the development of wood harvesting technology for soft peat soil together with the Finnish state forest enterprise Metsähallitus and the Finnish Forest Research Institute. During the project, a prototype that permits profitable and environmentally friendly harvesting on soil with poor bearing capacity is developed. The concept is based on a 10-wheel, five-axle forest machine and a supporting track solution, which together significantly reduce the surface pressure imposed on the ground as compared with conventional solutions.

Almost 30,000 forest machine industry visitors are gathered in the Metko exhibition at the beginning of September.

At the Ponsse exhibition booth you will meet old acquaintances and see heavy-duty work exhibitions of all machine models.

Over the years, internationalisation has become an increasingly important part of the exhibition – this year, customers from Russia, Germany, Canada and all the way from Brazil visit the stands.

The global economic recession and financial crisis put a strain on the forest industry and forest machine manufacturers.

Due to the weakened demand and future prospects for the forest machinery, Ponsse Plc gives summons for employee cooperation negotiations in October.

Einari Vidgrén is awarded the title Honorary Doctor of Technology by the University of Oulu, Faculty of Technology.

A total of 20 honorary doctorates are awarded in the main ceremony of the doctorate conferment of all faculties of the University of Oulu, on Saturday 16 May 2009.

The Ponsse Road Show introduces the PONSSE Fox soft terrain harvester and PONSSE H6 harvester head.

Other new products, such as the PONSSE Buffalo ADS forwarder and PONSSE Ergo 8w harvester, are also presented in some of the tour locations.