Who is Geobear?
The Earth is weighed down with lots of humans and their things. Sometimes the ground can’t bear the weight. That’s why our name is Geobear. We support the ground when it needs help, providing concrete leveling and other services here in Orange County and around the globe, so homes and businesses, airports, trains, roads, and ports keep running.
Geobear is an international ground improvement solutions company treating subsidence, settlement, and other ground instability issues. Our fast, cost-effective, and innovative solutions stabilize the ground, fill voids, and lift slabs in Orange County and beyond with minimal disruption. We've treated over 200,000 properties across the globe. Because of this, Geobear is a trusted partner for industry and homeowners alike
Behind everything we do is our commitment to socially-responsible ground improvement. You (our customer) always come first. This means we're committed to zero harm to protect the environment and everyone in it (that means you). We strive to provide our customers with the most convenient, reliable and cost-effective solution while minimizing negative impacts to people or the environment. That's what makes us the superior choice in Orange County and elsewhere for concrete leveling services and ground improvement.
We do this using our unique, patented Geobear solution. Our expert ground engineers create small holes in the ground and inject an expanding geopolymer resin. Once underground, the resin expands to fill all of the gaps and compact the soil, gradually lifting the ground above. This is the heart of our concrete leveling services in Orange County. This process is monitored with lasers to ensure absolute precision. The whole process can be carried out in just a matter of hours.
Geobear keeps things running.
How? We inject a polymer into the ground that’s become unstable. It lifts buildings, fixes cracked concrete and uneven floors, and makes the ground stronger. We are 10 times faster than the normal way to repair subsidence, which involves building work and often closing the business or moving out of your house. That's not the case with Geobear. The work is finished in hours or days, rather than weeks or months and comes with a guarantee.
Geobear - The Original Inventor of Geopolymer Injection
Pioneering Ground Improvement Since 1983
We’ve come a long way since it all started, at a department store in Finland, in 1983.
At a department store in Finland, the shop floor was starting to look like a potato field. The carts were rolling away from customers who struggled to fill them with purchases and make it to checkout. Business was suffering as more customers complained. The shop manager wanted to fix the problem without shutting down the business, so he called Veikko Hakkinen.
Veikko had invented a way to replace cement and grout with a polymer, which raised floors quickly and easily without the need for rebuilding. This was exactly what the shop manager was looking for. Confident he’d found a solution to a serious problem, Veikko patented his invention in 1983.
Hakkinen’s polymer solution started to gain popularity all over the world.
Timo Lahtinen became the head of the business in 1987, expanding into over 50 countries in the next 22 years. Operating under our original name, the company completed over 100,000 projects, created licensing deals with more than 30 companies, created new techniques, and got more patents.
When Timo retired in 2012, there were several companies using resin injection for ground improvement. Timo’s plan to become the market leader involved shifting from licensing into a ground improvement contracting business. Once the contracting business was off the ground in Finland, Timo started the process in the UK.
Becoming the worldwide leader in ground improvement contracting.
Today, Geobear is headquartered in London. CEO, Otso Lahtinen, has continued to build on his father’s vision by expanding across Europe, Asia, and the United States. In addition to homeowners and commercial buildings, Geobear now serves major ports, airports, railways, and more.
Our Promise to You
- We will always investigate first to solve the root cause of your problem.
- Your opinion matters and we are always happy to hear it.
- We deliver what we promise.
- We aim to respond promptly and be available in real-time.
- Each design is fully-engineered according to local regulations and reviewed for quality by a minimum of two professionals.
- We will tell you if we cannot solve the problem and advise you about alternatives, risks and mitigation strategies.
- Our raw material has at least a 120-year design life and will not shrink or deteriorate during the lifespan of your home.
- The number one priority of the delivery team is your safety.
- We document the site work carefully and provide you with a a detailed completion report.
- You will be contacted for feedback after the project.
OUR PURPOSE.
We enhance people's lives and our planet's future by bringing safety and stability for all.
OUR VISION.
To be the leading provider of sustainable data-driven asset management solutions for built environment.
OUR VALUES
SPIRE
Safety, Partnership, Integrity, Respect, Excellence.
When the ground gets unstable, Geobear fixes all the problems: cracks, uneven surfaces, voids, broken joints, pumping slabs, vibration echoes, water damage and more.
Committed to Improving the World Around Us
Geobear is committed to improving our society through the delivery of our innovative solutions. Aligned with that goal is our long-standing drive to provide carbon-friendly solutions and be a strong supporter of local communities and charities.
Environmental Stewardship
Protecting our environment is critical to the well-being of the communities we serve. We are proud to be delivering solutions that are not only best-in-class, but also have the lowest carbon footprint when compared with alternative methods. An independent report by KLH indicated that the Geobear pollution risk is considered significantly lower during the application compared to the traditional grout. A second independent report on the geopolymer used by Geobear found that there is no harm to the environment and it does not pollute freshwater.
Safety-First Culture
The safety of our employees and customers is paramount here at Geobear. We strive to create an environment focused on safety to protect everyone involved in our projects. Incentive programs and donation programs are set up to encourage everyone to act safely and always put safety first. Rigorous training is conducted at various levels of the organization to ensure everyone plays their role.
Charitable Initiatives
Geobear is committed to investing in the communities we serve and supporting local and regional charities. In 2020, our UK headquarters supported such charities as the Liverpool Heart and Chest Charity, NHS charities, Teardrops, Save the Children, and more. Each of our local offices takes part in charitable relations specific to their local communities. Throughout the year, all of our country and regional offices have a variety of special days and events for volunteering, social engagement, and fundraising.
Impacting Society
In 2019, independent economic research consultant Volterra conducted a study analyzing the cost savings for society in terms of reducing the socio-economic impact of asset maintenance work to infrastructure. The report concluded that when scaling up, millions of pounds could be saved by using a geopolymer method to maintain critical UK Infrastructure.