A word about the philosophy of growth
The Central Finland region has grown and developed at an amazing pace over the years. There is a positive atmosphere in the Jyväskylä area and the entire region at the moment, and although there are challenges to be found across the region, each area also has its own strengths.
There is no single top industry in Central Finland, as the business eld of the region consists of many actors in various sectors. This should not be seen as a weakness – on the contrary. We Central Finnish people should be proud of our extremely broad and diverse know-how!
In this 100-year anniversary jubilee book, called The Region of Growth, we want to highlight the stories of notable operators in Central Finland and celebrate the success of the region. The stories of companies, educational institutions and municipal actors intertwine and provide the reader with a fantastic overview of the active network operating in Central Finland.
The Central Finland Chamber of Commerce, which has operated as an independent chamber of commerce since 1930, has had a significant impact on the development of Central Finland. It has worked determinedly to support the entire company field in Central Finland, and the results are now reflected in the region's exceptional growth. The driving force behind the Chamber of Commerce is a network comprised of member companies that looks boldly to the future and creates new, successful ways of doing business.
Jämsek Oy is the development company of the town of Jämsä that engages locally in development, networking and advocacy to promote the prerequisites of success for companies in Jämsä. The business and relocation services help companies find suitable premises, assist in sourcing personnel and search for suitable partners. Various corporate events are organized annually to support growth, development and local vitality.
HB-Betoniteollisuus' products can be seen all around the Central Finnish townscape, both in the yards of private houses and in large infrastructure projects, such as at the construction site of the new central hospital.
One of Finland’s most impressive printing houses can be found amidst the beautiful rural landscape of Keuruu. The nationally significant cultural environment, built by Otava in the early 1950s, is home to five family businesses that make up a unique book printing community.
Naava is a company specialized in the natural purification of indoor air. The company enhances the nature’s own mechanisms with the use of technology. Naava’s goal is to create a natural habitat for people indoors. The company was born amidst the beautiful scenery of Central Finland, and it has spread its roots around the world with the help of crowdfunding, for example.
A humble but ambitious attitude is the key in business life. Nordic Business Forum, which has its roots in Jyväskylä, has been growing steadily for ten years, and the event is already pursuing the title of the world's leading business life conference.
The decline in the consumption of milk has been a growing trend as new eating habits revolutionize the food market. Despite this, Valio Oy's dairy in the city of Jyväskylä has more than doubled its production in the 21st century. The dairy has a long history in Jyväskylä, and this small processor of dairy products has grown into a pioneer in the field of special milks, and the dairy exports its products to all over Finland and some of the Nordic countries.
Sleipner Finland Oy from Jyväskylä is a company that came up with a really unique innovation: a transportation system for mining machines. The fast-growing company's equipment are used in limestone mines in Central Europe, in Australia's hot drylands, on the Andean Mountains, as well in the tropics of Central Africa.
The Research Institute for Olympic Sports KIHU has engaged in research to benefit Finnish
sports since 1991 and is now the leading center for applied sports research in Finland. The small size of our country has introduced its own share of challenges to our success, but that which cannot be acquired through quantity, can be made up by inventiveness and creativity. Along the way, KIHU has produced several sports-related inventions from alpine huts to javelin cannons and carried out important research regarding the healthcare of athletes.
Arctic Machine Oy is a family-owned company that invests in Finnish quality. Established in
1981, the company has rapidly grown into an international success story. Currently, the company’s equipment is used to maintain roads in more than nine countries and in Finland it is the market leader in its field.
Komas Oy, founded in 2002, increased its turnover 20-fold and its staff 12-fold during its first six years. The company, which has received recognition from the Regional Organization of Enterprises in Central Finland, has its roots in the defense equipment industry, and the company's history dates back to 1925, from Valmet and Patria to the Jyväskylä Rifle Factory. Komas was quick to grow both in Finland and abroad, and the company returned to Jyväskylä in 2013 and has now established a strong regional presence in Central Finland, Ostrobothnia and Sastamala.
In 1974, a pool and sports dome was built on the shore of Lake Peurunkajärvi, where an old
children's home used to stand. The past of Peurunka, which was built by war veterans, has been eventful, but the spa hotel has undergone its biggest changes in the 21st century. 35 million euros have been invested in Peurunka after 2006, and the spa hotel has grown into a vibrant tourist center.
Pisla Group Oy, a company focusing on construction and furnishing, serves hardware
stores and department stores in Finland and abroad. In addition to small hardware products, the company's range of products also includes items for the bathroom, sauna, fireplaces and windows, for example. A diverse product selection and security of supply have made the company from Viitasaari one of the leading players in its field in the entire Baltic Sea region.
Saurus Oy is a well-respected designer and manufacturer of fire and rescue vehicles.
Rescuers around the world use the vehicles built in Central Finland to do their jobs every day.
Finland's forests provide raw materials for vital heat and power generation. Vapo is a
bioenergy company that values Finnish nature by generating energy from domestic wood and peat, especially for the needs of the industry, municipalities and energy companies.
Finn-Savotta, which specializes in demanding hiking conditions, is a family company from
Karstula, known primarily for its traditional external frame backpacks. The company's expertise is reflected in its special load-bearing equipment and shelters, which are extremely durable because of the technical sewing, carrying ergonomics, aluminum expertise and material and structural knowledge.
Moventas, a company awarded for its international success and cleantech expertise, is doing demanding work with the design and production of wind turbine gearboxes. The company's customers include significant, international manufacturers of wind turbines and electric utilities, and the demand for Moventas's products is high around the world. The company is now making an investment of 17 million euros in Jyväskylä to increase its production capacity, enabling it to respond to the growing demand and create new jobs in the region.
Jyväskylä is home to the first lyceum and teachers's college that used Finnish as its language of instruction. This has earned Jyväskylä the nickname “Athens of Finland”. In recent years, the strong university city has also achieved fame with its fantastic economic growth and entrepreneurial success stories. Anne Sandelin, Director of Business Development and Employment for the city of Jyväskylä, believes that the city's current growth stems from know-how.
Honkarakenne Oyj manufactures high-quality, ecological and healthy detached homes,
holiday houses and public buildings from Finnish solid wood. Established in 1958, the company has delivered nearly 85,000 buildings to more than 50 countries.
Silenta Group Oy specializes in the manufacture of hearing protectors and other hearing protection and communication solutions vital for occupational safety. The protectors are designed for demanding professional use and are the result of long-term development: Silenta, which is one of the world's leading manufacturers of hearing protectors, has been in the business since 1962.
The internationally recognized Jyväskylä University of Applied Sciences (JAMK) has profiled itself as a school that provides high-quality education for thousands of students from different fields every year. In the next-generation university, people study in multidisciplinary student groups, try out different learning methods with an open mind, and are encouraged to try out new things.
The Finnish education system is highly respected both at home and abroad. EduCluster Finland is an expert organization focused on learning and educational development, designing and implementing diverse educational services around the world.
During its first years, Paytrail, which operates in the field of online payments, at least doubled its turnover annually. The success of the rapidly growing company starts from paying attention to the well- being of the staff and helping colleagues. The customers are also treated in a similar manner.
Silvasti’s name has been known since 1971, when Jouni Silvasti founded a company that focused on special transportation. Jouni’s son Ville started his career in special transport under his own name in 2002. Thanks to internationalization, the company's turnover is now around 20 million euros. The company is now expecting growth especially in the field of renewable energy.
Even people with the most insatiable sweet tooth cannot help but smiling at the candy aisle when they see a bar of chocolate or bag of licorice made by Panda. The easy-going confectionery company's products have offered delicious solutions to satisfy the sweet tooth for decades.
Access to a skilled workforce is one of the most important criteria for success and when selecting a company's domicile. Attractive vocational education and training (VET) plays a key role in regional success. The Jyväskylä Educational Consortium is now strongly reforming its operations.
The long history of the University of Jyväskylä dates back to the first Finnish-language teacher
training college in Finland, founded in 1863. Over the years, it has developed into an internationally significant multidisciplinary university, known not only for its high-quality teacher training, but also for its particle accelerator and the only sports science faculty in the country, among other things.
When making decisions, the municipality of Laukaa pays attention to its residents' wishes and opinions. In Laukaa, people listen to their minds as well as their hearts in decision-making.
Bio boilers are manufactured in the city of Saarijärvi. They are used to heat homes and produce process heat in Finland as well as elsewhere in Europe. Ariterm, which is especially focused on exports, is the market leader in its field in the Nordic countries and in England. Recycled wood is currently a particularly strong area of growth, and the company has developed unique technology for its combustion.
Betset is one of the few companies in Finland that are able to maintain continuous growth. The company, which started out from the yard of a farmhouse, is now one of Finland's largest family businesses in the concrete sector, and the company is looking to increase its turnover of 84 million euros also in the coming years.
The Jyväskylä Airport is home to both commercial operations and ones conducted by the Finnish Air Force. Without a commercial airport, the risk of dropping off the map is too big to take.
The Northern Central Finland Vocational College (POKE) is developing its operations and growing according to the needs of regional development. Forestry is the most significant employer in the region, especially after the completion of the new bioproduct mill. That is why the Vocational College is also investing heavily in the training of future forestry professionals.
Metsä Group has strong roots in Äänekoski: pulp production began in the city already in 1937. The new bioproduct mill, which started its operations in August 2017, expands the product selection by introducing new, high-value bioproducts to the market.
Äänekoski, located along the Finnish national road 4, about 40 kilometers from Jyväskylä, is
particularly well-known as a strong industrial city. The city, which is surrounded by waterways, invests heavily in the development of tourism, not just the industry, and wants to involve its inhabitants in building the future.
The story of Kirjakaari originally started from the desire to spread knowledge about Finland, Finns and the Finnish culture to every corner of the globe. Kirjakaari started as a book publishing company more than ten years ago. Recently, the company has experienced very strong growth, and it will focus its operations more and more on corporate stories in the future. Kirjakaari's range of services has expanded from the publishing and printing services that its partners are already familiar with to include many forms of business and marketing communications.
Producer: Kirjakaari Oy.
Publicer: Central Finland Chamber of Commerce
Writers: Editor in chief Mira-Maria Heinonen, editors Nelli Miettinen, Emma Karki ja Antti Kekola
Graphic design and layout: Hanna Söderström, Pelismo Oy
Translations: Timo Aaltonen ja Karri Kaukinen, Apropos lingua Oy
Publishing services: Kirjakaari Oy
Printing press: Otavan Kirjapaino Oy, Keuruu