Unique printing community creates synergy benefits for companies and customers alike
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.
About 7 million books are printed in the red-brick factory milieu every year. The companies responsible for this are Otava Book Printing, Printek, Prem, Linnapaperi and Keuruun laatupaino, which work closely together to create significant synergy benefits. The companies are not the only ones that benefit from the synergy, as the customers also receive a comprehensive set of services thanks to the cooperation.
– We need clusters if we want to develop the field further. You should not try and do everything yourself, because the work requires big machines and investments. The book printing village has been born naturally on cooperation, say Panu Kupila, Production Manager for Otava Book Printing, and Teemu Pärnänen, Prem's Managing Director.
The partner companies have a long, shared history, and many of the companies have worked together long before moving to Otava's premises. During the golden age of the book industry, Otava would have had problems with large orders without partner companies, and cooperation with a larger operator has also promoted the business of the partner companies.
Today, traditional offset printing technology has been joined by digital printing, which has enabled the fast printing of editions of just one copy if need be. Offset technology, on the other hand, allows thousands of copies of books to be printed. Thanks to the two technologies, delivery times are short when needed.
There are currently about 130–140 people working around the Otava printing community, and the printing business is supported by a logistics company and a maintenance company located on the premises.
– Combined logistics is one major benefit. Shared facilities also guarantee the fast transport of materials. We have good synergy here when it comes to printing, machine maintenance and waste recycling, commend Tapani Paasu, Printek's Production Manager, Mikko Linna, Linnapaperi's Managing Director, and Kimmo Ström, Keuruun laatupaino's Production Manager.
Manufacturing a product in one place also reduces the carbon footprint. In addition to being ecological, being domestic is also important to the companies of the printing community, and all companies operate under the Swan Ecolabel.
Keuruu is located in the center of Finland, which is excellent for deliveries. The location was originally chosen because of the paper mills and railways in the region. When Otava arrived at Keuruu, it changed the scenery and nature of the rural town by building infrastructure and acting as a major employer. Otava has contributed to many things in the region, and new companies have since emerged from the printing house's operations.
The much-discussed digital books are not at all that visible in the operations, and the past few years have been years of growth for all the companies of the printing community. Import trade from the Baltic states and Eastern Europe, however, creates challenges for the market. The competitive advantages of the Otava printing community are high quality, short delivery times and being ecological.
– The Finns are well-informed as consumers and they expect high quality, everyone from the printing community agrees.
Otava Book Printing Ltd
+358 9 15 661
Email: firstname.lastname@otavankirjapaino.fi
www.otavankirjapaino.fi
Established: 1908
Field: Printing house
“Finnish book printing for more than 100 years”
Keuruun laatupaino Ltd
+358 20 719 9920
myynti@keuruunlaatupaino.com
www.keuruunlaatupaino.fi
Established: 1996
Field: Printed products and the post-processing of printed products
“Strong and reliable part of the communication chain of businesses and communities”
Linnapaperi Ltd
+358 10 666 6340
linnapaperi@linnapaperi.fi
www.linnapaperi.fi
Established: 1991
Field: Wholesaler and importer of post and greeting cards and gift supplies
“Creative and bold pioneer in the card industry”
Prem / Suomenselän Laminointi Ltd
+358 34 758 777
info@prem.fi
www.prem.fi
Established: 1974
Ala: Post-processing of printed products
”Stand out with your sheetfed printed products”
Printek / Keuruskopio Ltd
+358 40 300 0707
info@printek.fi
www.printek.fi
Established: 1994
Field: Printed products
“High-quality print work with long experience and skilled experts”