Prohoc is building its presence in the Americas by staying close to its customers – with local teams delivering Nordic standards where the work happens.
Major Nordic technology OEMs are delivering power plants, marine installations and industrial projects across the US and Central America at a pace that shows no sign of slowing down. Data centers alone are fuelling an energy boom that is reshaping infrastructure investment across the continent.
“Our customers are expanding in the Americas, and we want to be right there with them,” says Kimmo Kohtamäki, Group CEO.
“Local to local, that’s how we work.”
The journey began with a greenfield establishment in Guatemala, followed by an acquisition in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Two foot-holds on a very large continent, and the start of something bigger.
The white label partner
On site, Prohoc technicians wear their customer’s logo. They follow the customer’s processes, apply the customer’s standards, and work within the customer’s organisation.
“The end customer gets exactly what they would if the OEM had sent their own people. To the OEM, it is scalable capacity delivered with full reliability. That’s the idea,” explains Matias Träskbäck, Senior Vice President of Global Field Services.
Prohoc’s service offering in the region spans global field service, specialist services and project resourcing, a broad palette that allows Prohoc to step in wherever the customer needs support: from installation and commissioning through to maintenance and overhaul.
A partner you can truly trust
In the Americas, it is not uncommon for local service partners to gradually move closer to end customers, and eventually take them. Prohoc has made a deliberate strategic choice not to go down that road.
“Our business model is built on a simple principle: we would never compete with our customers,” says Träskbäck. “We’re there to strengthen their service delivery, not to build our own position at their expense.”
It is a principle that Juan Carlos Pérez, Managing Director of Prohoc’s operations in the Americas, has had to defend in practice. Cruise lines, power plant operators and even competitors have approached him directly, asking if Prohoc could work for them instead.
“The answer is always no,” says Pérez. “We work for our customers, full stop. It’s a true partnership, and in this part of the world, that kind of trust is rare and valuable.”
Having a Nordic company with transparent values and a long track record is a genuine selling point in a market where reliability cannot be taken for granted.
Local to local
Building a local presence is not just a strategic preference, it has become a practical necessity. Tightening US visa policies have made it increasingly difficult to send European specialists across the Atlantic, reinforcing the case for local recruitment.
Prohoc recruits in the US and Guatemala, but training often happens in Vaasa. Employees fly in from Miami, Guatemala City and Alaska to build the technical foundation that underpins every project delivery. The result is a team that is local in its operations but genuinely Nordic in its standards.
“There are definitely challenges operating across this region,” says Pérez. “Labor laws, safety standards and culture differ from the Nordics. Our setup means our customers have a partner who understands the local context while delivering Nordic-level standards.”
What comes next
The Americas operation has a target of 50 people by the end of the year. Within five years, the ambition is to grow global field services to 300 to 400 people worldwide.
“It could be that we have to go bigger much quicker than this,” says Pérez. “It all depends on how things go with the projects being discussed right now.”
The political landscape, with tariffs, shifting trade policies and a changing world order, is watched carefully, but has not changed the fundamental picture.
“Investment in energy infrastructure continues and the need for qualified, reliable service partners has not gone away,” says Kohtamäki.
“We are there to support our customers – and we’re just getting started.”