Souvenir from Finland - Innovations and International Business Siilinjärvi by Teemu Pelkonen

SOUVENIR FROM

FINLAND

CHASSWHEEL

FEELMAX

ERGOREST

CONTENTS

INNOVATIONS AND INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS IN SIILINJÄRVI Editioral........................................3 Elemenco......................................3 Finland country profile.................4 Chasswheel..................................5 Ergorest........................................6 Siilinjärvi.......................................7 Feelmax........................................8 The power of networking.............9 Punamusta...................................10 Tahko............................................11 Eastern Finland.............................11

FINLAND

Finnish business etiquette

Editorial Greetings from Siilinjärvi, Finland. We are happy to arrive safely to this year’s European Conference in Tarragona, Spain. Our Finnish “army” is a bit under 200. So, beware of the Blue-White regime : ). Junior Chamber International is an organisation meant for active young people yearning for knowledge and new challenges. I think this year the 2,000 participants will make something special happen. I come from Kuopio, Finland and I am a member of Junior Chamber Siilinjärvi (a municipality near Kuopio). I made this magazine to introduce you my neck of the woods. Additionally I found some interesting organisations to give their contribution to the paper as well. This has been an interesting and challenging project. To gather internationally known companies from Northern Savo

(Do’s and Don’ts)

area, present their key business that has made their work known across national borders, and give this paper as a “souvenir” from Finland. With the help of this kind of event, such as EC Tarragona, and innovative and energetic organisations, we can make impossible possible. I want to thank all the organisations and partners who were involved in the project. I proudly provide this magazine to you and hope it gives a pleasant reading experience along with new ideas. Wishing Mediterranean emotions,

DO maintain eye contact and speak directly to your Finnish business partners. Finns take lack of eye contact for dishonesty and untrustworthiness.

DON’T show strong emotions. Finns view this as unprofessional and being too emotional will harm your relationship with your Finnish business colleagues.

DO accept an invitation to a sauna. It is an excellent way to connect with your colleagues while learning about traditional Finnish culture, as many important meetings tend to be followed by a trip to the sauna.

DON’T be offended if your Finnish partners seem rather blunt and to the point. This is typical in Finnish communication, as Finns prefer to tell the truth directly and take pride in their matter of fact attitudes.

DO poke fun at yourself and your country, but never make fun of others. Finns appreciate dry wit and enjoy self-deprecating humour. Finns enjoy irony and have a rather subtle sense of humour.

DON’T compare Finns to Swedes as there is a firm rivalry between these nations. Finns are very proud of their distinct cultural identity, so try to avoid calling Finns Scandinavians.

DON’T interrupt your Finnish colleagues during presentations. Save your questions until the end and keep them to a minimum. Finns tend to distrust talkative people.

Teemu Pelkonen Editor-in-Chief Area D Manager of International Affairs 2011 JCI Finland Member of Junior Chamber Siilinjärvi since 2009

DON’T complain or criticise. It is never in your interest to be critical or opinionated, as any kind of negativity will offend your Finnish colleagues. (source Communicaid Group Ltd. – Doing Business in Finland)

SIIRTOKELPOISIA KOULUJA JA PÄIVÄKOTEJA RAKENNA

ILMAN HOME- JA KOSTEUSONGELMIA!

ELEMENCO

SIIRTOKELPOISET koulut ja päiväkodit valmistetaan Kaavin tehtaamme sisätiloissa. Rakenteet säilyvät aina kuivina. TARJOAMME pitkäikäisyyttä, muuntokelpoisuutta ja tyylikkyyttä sekä laatua.

PYYDÄ TARJOUSTAMME!

www.elemenco.fi Elemenco Oy, 73670 Luikonlahti antero.vartiainen@elemenco.fi puhelin 0400 720 279, faksi (017) 2611 739

Finland

(Source: Finpro)

Country Profile

November 2010 - Land and population - Governance - Infrastructure - Economy - Useful links

Land and population Total area: 338,000 square kilometers, of which 6% is agricultural land, 10% water and 69% forest Land area: 304 112 square kilometers Neighbouring countries: Estonia, Sweden, Norway, Russia (1 269 km, Finland's land border with Russia is the eastern border of the European Union) Natural resources: forests, copper, iron ore; Distances: 1,160 km north to south, 540 km west to east Time: + 2 hours GMT Population: 5,4 million ; 67% live in towns or urban areas, 33% in rural areas Population density: 17 inhabitants per square kilometer Life expectancy at birth: females 82,8 years, males 75,6 years (2010) Main towns (2009): Helsinki (583 350) Espoo (244 330), Tampere (211 507), Vantaa (197 636), Turku (176 087) and Oulu (139 133). The capital, Helsinki, and the neigh-

1917 - 1919 The present constitution is adopted and Finland becomes a republic - 1955 Finland joins the United Nations - 1995 Finland becomes a member of the European Union - 2002 Euro banknotes and coins enter circulation

boring towns, Espoo and Vantaa, form the fast-growing Helsinki metropolitan region, which now has more than a million residents Languages: Finnish 90,67%, Swedish 5.43%, Lappish 0.03%, Russian 0.97%, other 2.90% (2009). Finnish and Swedish are the official languages. Religion: Lutheran 79,9%, Orthodox 1.1%, other 1.3%. 17,7% have no religious affiliation. (2009)

Infrastructure Electric power: 220 V, 50 Hz Dial numbers: +358, Helsinki, Vantaa, Espoo (0)9, Tampere (0)3, Turku (0)2 GSM standards: GSM 900/1800, 3G Fixed telephone users: 1.43 million households in Finland have a fixed-line telephone (2009) Mobile penetration: over 100 percent, over 7,7 million subscribers (2009) Internet: 3,2 million Finns use Internet. 59,9 internet users/100 inhabitants (2009) Broadband subscribers: 2.5 million (2009) Public roads: 78 141 km Railways: 5 919 km, of which electrified 3,067 km (2009) Waterways: Fairways for merchant shipping comprise 3,900 km of coastal and inland waterways. Airports: 76 with paved runways. The busiest airport in Finland is the Helsinki-Vantaa Airport which handles around 500 take-offs and landings daily. Ports: Helsinki, Hanko, Kotka, Turku,

Governance Official name: Suomen tasavalta (Suomi), Finlands republik, Republic of Finland Form of state: Parliamentary Republic Country code: FI President: The President of Finland is Ms. Tarja Halonen, who was re-elected for the second term in March 2006. The president is elected for a period of six years and may serve a maximum of two consecutive terms. Constitution: 1919 (updated in 2000) Next elections: March 2011 (parliamentary), February 2012 (presidential) Independence Day: December, 6 Some important events in the history of Finland: - 1155 The first crusade to Finland by the Swedes. Finland becomes part of the Swedish realm - 1809 Finland is handed over to Russia by Sweden and becomes a partly autonomous Grand Duchy under the Russian Emperor - 1917 Finland's declaration of independence on December 6,

Hamina, Pori, Naantali, Rauma, Raahe, Porvoo

Economy Currency: euro (EUR) = 100 cents Gross Domestic Product (2009e): 171,3 billion eur (at current market prices) GDP per capita (2009e): at current market prices 32 088 eur. Consumer price inflation: 0,0% (2009). Forecast for 2010 is 1,5%. Unemployment rate: 8,2 % (2009). Forecast for 2010 is 8,6%. Monthly wages (2008): average 2 876 eur; men 3 185 eur, women 2 575 eur Main industrial products: Paper and board, electronics and metal products. Forests are still Finland's most crucial raw material resource, although the engineering and high technology industries, led by Nokia, have long been the leading branches of manufacturing. Taxation: Corporation tax (26%) is uniform for all types of corporate income, including sales profits, interest income, dividends, royalties and rental income; value-added tax (VAT) is charged at 23% on most goods and services. Reduced tax rate of 13 % is applied to serving of foods and to the sale of food and animal feed and reduced rate of 9 % to cinema performances, physical exercise services, books, pharmaceuticals, passenger transportation services etc.

PRESS RELEASE 26.4.2011

Finnish electric wheelchair producer Chasswheel and Invacare into Europewide co-operation

Chasswheel Oy has signed an agreement on sales of Four X electric wheelchair in Europe. The contracting party Invacare Corporation is the global leader in the manufacture and distribution of innovative home and

Facts about Four X Additional information: Jukka Paunonen Sales Manager Chasswheel Oy jukka.paunonen@ chasswheel.com tel. +358 207 559 228 Tapani Vuorinen Director of Suppliers & Product range, Respecta tapani.vuorinen@respecta.fi tel. +358 40 3488 457

distribution of Four X electric wheelchairs in Norway and Sweden and will later in the autumn start to sell Four X in Denmark. According to the contract Invacare has the possibility to expand the sales of Four X also to the other European countries. ”The contract opens doors to such European countries in which we do not have a reseller yet. Due to the contract our production volume will increase notably and the subcontract work in assembling the wheelchairs increases. Our sales will double this year”, says Jukka Paunonen, Sales Manager of Chasswheel. Four X electric wheelchairs are designed for people, who need motorized aid for moving, but still want to live as independently as possible. ”We got excited about the unique characteristics of Four X.

long-term care medical products. Four X is the only electric wheelchair with four wheel drive that has been accepted as a compensable assistive device by the European authorities. Invacare has already begun

The wheelchair is durable and can be used also in extremely demanding outdoor and offroad conditions. Therefore Four X is an excellent complement to the Invacare product offer”, says director Pierre Maielli, who is responsible for product development of power wheelchairs and scooters at Invacare. As a prerequisite to the contract, Chasswheel acquired the certificates required in Europe for the Four X electric wheelchair. ”The contract is not only important for Chasswheel but also to the whole Finnish assistive device industry”, says the initiator of the contract Tapani Vuorinen, Director of Suppliers and Product range from Respecta. Respecta Oy continues as a reseller of Four X electric wheelchairs in Finland.

• All components of wheel chairs are made in Finland except engine and electronics. • The flexible chassis was developed by Hannu Knuutinen.

• Four X gives its owner freedom to move and act more independently and diversified than be fore through all four seasons. • Four X’s unique characte ristics are flexible chassis, absorbers, four wheel drive and steering.

Chasswheel Oy manufactures electric wheelchairs for multifunctional and demanding use. The company has until now manufactured over 500 pieces of its main product, Four X electric wheelchair and sold them to over 10 countries. www.invacare.com. Respecta Oy provides researched and individual services based on assistive devices. The aim of the services is to improve user’s independent living and quality of life. Respecta’s eight clinics provide services throughout Finland.

www.chasswheel.com. Invacare Corporation is the global leader in the manufacture and distribution of innovative home and long-term care medical products. The Company has 6,300 associates and markets its products in 80 countries around the world.

(Did you know? CEO Risto Heikkinen and Jukka Paunonen are Honorary Members in Junior Chamber Kuopio.)

Respecta has 200 employees and its turnover in 2010 was over EUR 30 million. Respecta is owned by ORTON Foundation and The Finnish National Fund for Research. www.respecta.fi

Ergonomics today Case Ergorest Oy, Siilinjärvi Finland

Ergorest is specialised in ergonomy-products origin from Siilinjärvi Finland. Its roots are from 1978. Everything has a beginning, and we began by producing massage tables. During the recession in the 1990s, demand of the tables decreased significantly and production withered. Nowadays the demand has flourished yet again and the production is taken up. In the middle of 1980s we found an idea for workstation ergonomy. An innovative and daring team of Finns put this idea forward into practise. Forearm support is meant to bear one’s arm and elbow, especially working with computers. Ergonomy issues during that time also reflected the evolution of IT and

computer-based working. Our products reduce tension in the neck and shoulder area. They enhance your position in workplace and ease working with the computer. Nowadays there is also a model integrated with a mouse pad. Mr. Yrjö Viherheimo was the man behind the design and he developed the model and gave its characteristic features. We believe in international business. Ergorest has gone international and gained international success by attending exhibitions abroad. As a result of these events, we have found that Orgatec – exhibition in Köln has proved to be the best. We have attended every Orgatec since 1993. We have found our sales network, which covers all continents and proved this event

being the most fruitful. At the moment, our most important market area is Europe and North America. 90 per cent of our turnover is export. This is why international business is highly important to us. We are pleased that The

University of Kuopio has conducted a research of our armrest model and its effect on workstation ergonomy. This gives our brand added value and makes our products even more reliable. Today we at Ergorest invest highly on environmental issues, for example recycled packaging and optimation of raw material and energy. Through all the efforts in work, long-term development and environmental awareness, we have achieved a prestige of high-quality producer all around the world. Feel free to contact us, we are happy to solve your ergonomy issues. Anne Hölttä Vice President Ergorest Oy

Siilinjärvi A lively municipality in Northern Savo

Siilinjärvi is an active and growing municipality. At the moment 2011 there are 21 101 inhabitants. The development of population has been positive. Population is younger than average with almost one of four inhabitants is under 15 years old. Population is also better educated than average.

Siilinjärvi and Kuopio form together a coherent and densely populated employment are with over 108 000 inhabitants. Siilinjärvi's biggest employers are in the chemical industry, aerospace and defence, health and leisure services, concrete and metal as well as services and tourism. The latest major working area is located in the neighbourhood of the Rissala Airport with nearly 100 hectares of area.

Did you know about Siilinjärvi:

¥ ¥ ¥ ¥ ¥

In Siilinjärvi feel at home specially families with children. There has been invested a lot in childcare, education, elderly care, health and leisure services. They are investments in the future. We believe that the welfare services have an increasingly important role in the future for the business development and the success of the entire municipality.

The name, in Finnish, means ”Hedgehog Lake.” Siilinjärvi was found in 1925 By population it is the 51st largest in Finland Municipal Tax Rate 19,5% Twincities: Sunne in Sweden, Elverum in Norway, Hajdúböszörmény in Hungary, Kamennogorsk in Russia, Amberg in Germany

Siilinjärvi

Kasurilantie 1 PL 5, Siilinjärvi tel. +358 17 401 111 fax. +358 17 401 132 kirjaamo@siilinjarvi.fi www.siilinjarvi.fi

Feelmax aftergame Aftergame Barefoot shoes Brief description of the company Oy Feelmax Ltd was established in 2000. The company sold initially toe socks. During the best year these socks were sold for as much as 1, 8 million euro. It was soon discovered that there would be a market also for light shoes with thin soles. The company started a product development project together with Continental in order to develop an ideal thin and long lasting sole. As a result light durable Feelmax shoes with 1mm and 2,1 mm soles were developed. Referring to several independent test results, the Feelmax shoe has from a foot health point of view come out as superior compared to other shoes.It was already at an early stage realised that this product had great potential and patents were applied for worldwide in all important markets. The name Feelmax was also registered in all major markets.

See also www.feelmax.com In 2007 the company had the first lot of Feelmax barefoot footwear made.The shoes were very well received both among professionals and amateurs in all markets initially sold. Professional sportsmen like Jari Litmanen, Sami Kapanen and Tommi Evil채 are using Feelmax shoes and they are very pleased with them. The trade was at the beginning a bit reluctant concerning Feelmax as they were afraid that the product promise for Feelmax was contradictory to conventional thick soled sports footwear an possibly cannibalizing these. The increasing consumer demand, good profitability and the fact that Feelmax was creating a completely new segment complementary to traditional sports footwear however removed the anxiety.

Oy Feelmax Ltd Maaningantie 47 71750 Maaninka Finland Tel. +358 (0)17 389 3100 Fax +358 (0)17 389 3111

Feelmax Aftergame Barefoot shoes are suitable for: - Free time - After the game - Jogging - Gym

- Rehabilitation - Sailing - For driving - Flights

- Golf training - For office - Healthiness, diabetics, back problems etc. - For use at home

The power of networking Networking is a fresh concept when talked about business and its development. When I think back, it was first mentioned years ago during our business classes in University. Our professor made it clear that networking is here to stay, and all of us should acknowledge it and take care of our own networks. Now that I think of it, it makes a whole lot of sense. To some, networking has a negative sound to it. They may think that people have hidden agendas or merely want to exploit one’s skills in their business. However, networking is all about being genuine and interacting with other people. After all, we build networks even subconsciously. We meet people in our daily activities and work with variety of individuals; it is easier to ask our friend for

an advice or use our networks to solve a problem. I was invited to Junior Chamber Siilinjärvi in 2009 before which I did not know anything about the organisation. It was quite unreal that I immediately found myself surrounded with other active and idealistic people. Being influenced with these individuals, challenges and even crazy ideas were surmountable. I easily adapted into different events and projects with the same kind of mindset. All of these experiences have given me professional as well as individual skills useful in the future. Junior Chamber International gives prospective surroundings for networking. It is an organisation that flourishes it. It is hard to think of a better way to meet and discuss with

other dynamic people. I have also made friends within the JCI world that will last a lifetime. It is great to know that whenever I may have a problem or a challenge, there is a network of professionals that can offer a point of view for it. Networking is being done continuously; at work, in social life and newly in social media as well. It powerfully reactivates people to seek into new social situations. Take my development in JCI as an example: Firstly I was invited to join a local chapter where I got to do projects and meet interesting people. Consequently to that, I got an opportunity to be an area manager of international affairs and meet people from all over Finland. And finally, while writing this article, I am packing my bags and getting ready for

the European Conference in Tarragona and I am confident to say that there will be some amount of energetic people to interact with. So as you experience and go on with your daily routines, do enjoy the people you meet along the way. You never know who comes across and what interesting challenge you may find yourself in. Enhancing the unique opportunities, Teemu Pelkonen JCI Finland Area D - Manager of International Affairs 2011 Member of Junior Chamber Siilinjärvi since 2009 “The way of the world is meeting people through other people.” – Robert Kerrigan

High quality printing products.

www.punamusta.com

GOLF

FISHING

SPA SERVICES

MOUNTAIN BIKING

DOWNHILL SKIING

SNOWBOARDING

CANOEING

ADMIRING NATURE

HIKING

ATV SAFARIS

HORSE SLEDDING

HORSE SAFARIS

SHOOTING

CROSS COUNTRY SKIING

SNOW MOBILING

Tahko Finland ACTIVITIES ALL YEAR ROUND Tahko is a lively holiday resort, which comprise a perfect destination for an active holiday all year round. Tahko is located in Nilsiä in the Finnish Lakeland area, approximately 50 minutes from Kuopio. Its central location and excellent transport connections make Tahko an easy destination from anywhere. The changing seasons, from snowy winters to pleasant summers, permit a wide range of ways to spend a holiday at Tahko.

INDOOR SPORTS

All activies and accommodation BOOK NOW

http://booking.tahko.com

BOWLING

ICE DRIVING

JET SKIS

SNOW SHOEING

Central Booking Office TAHKOcom

Laitisenmäentie 11, 73300 NILSIÄ, FINLAND Puh. +358-17-481 400, fax +358-17-481 401 E-mail: tahkovuori@tahko.com

Eastern Finland Country Established Abolished Capital Government - Governor Area - Total Population (2002) - Total - Density Time zone - Summer (DST) ISO 3166 code NUTS code

Finland September 1, 1997 January 1, 2010 Mikkeli Pirjo Ala-Kapee 48,726 km2 (18,813.2 sq mi)

588,106 12.1/km2 (31.3/sq mi) EET (UTC+2) EEST (UTC+3) IS 13

Welcome to Finland!