National Entrepreneur Awards go to Eurajoen Romu Oy, Norrhydro Oy and Vilpe Oy

This year, the National Entrepreneur Awards were awarded to the companies Eurajoen Romu Oy, Norrhydro Oy and Vilpe Oy. Suomen Yrittäjät and the insurer Fennia presented the long-established and distinguished awards at the evening gala of the National Entrepreneur Days in Tampere on Saturday.

The intention of the National Entrepreneur Awards, presented by the insurer Fennia and Suomen Yrittäjät, is to increase public appreciation for entrepreneurs and enterprise in Finland.

“The National Entrepreneur Award, which we have presented with Suomen Yrittäjät for over 50 years, is the most distinguished enterprise award in Finland. The common trait among this year’s winners was that all three had a clear vision and appetite to continually develop their own businesses for the better,” awards committee member and CEO of Fennia Tomi Yli-Kyyny says.

The National Entrepreneur Awards have been presented since 1968.

Scrap metal aggregator at the heart of the circular economy

Eurajoen Romu, established in 1994, specializes in recycling scrap metal. The company recycles anything containing metal. Through its processes, it separates, sorts and recycles 100% of the materials. In addition to scrap metal, the company has the capacity to recycle all the parts of car lead batteries, for example.

During its history of almost 30 years, the recycling giant which started out in Eurajoki has grown to a national player. The company’s growth has been fuelled by investments and M&A deals. In addition to Eurajoen Romu, the group includes subsidiaries, thanks to which the Eurajoki Group has locations from Helsinki to Oulu.

“Broadly speaking, we buy competence and key people in the sector. In this business, you need people you can trust,” says the company’s founder and CEO Juuso Luodesmeri.

The share of export in the turnover of Eurajoen Romu can be as much as 90%. Metallic raw materials leave the ports of Rauma and Eurajoki for the needs of foundries and the steel industry in both Europe and countries such as China, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Malaysia.

“Raw materials are needed where a lot of infrastructure is being built. There’s a lot of potential abroad, and there’s no limit to growth,” Luodesmeri says.

As CEO, Juuso Luodesmeri has succeeded in giving the company a prominent face. His wife and two oldest sons also work in the company.

Eurajoen Romu Oy

• Established: 1994
• Founder and CEO: Juuso Luodesmeri
• Domicile: Eurajoki
• Headcount: Over 90
• Turnover: €125.6 million (2021)
• Operating result: €9.4 million (2021)

Cylinder manufacturer constantly on the hunt for competitive edge

Norrhydro Oy, based in Rovaniemi, is a hydraulic cylinder manufacturer, system supplier and pioneer in digital hydraulics. The company, established in 1985, manufactures products used in forestry, material processing, earthworks and mining machines.

It has sought a competitive edge by developing more energy-efficient hydraulic cylinders and motion control systems.

“We want to play our part in solving environmental and climate problems. For example, we’ve worked with universities to develop products that can be used to achieve significant energy savings in machines,” Norrhydro CEO Yrjö Trög says.

Sustainability is important to Norrhydro. For example, a new Norrhydro plant has just been built in Rovaniemi with 4,000 square metres of solar panels on the roof. In addition, the factory has invested in energy recycling and recovery.

The Rovaniemi-based company speaks openly of a culture of growth. Numerically, growth means that Norrhydro’s turnover must rise from the current level by at least €30 million in the next four years.

“Everyone has a genuine opportunity to come up with new ideas. And those ideas are also put into practice. We simply must grow, develop and do things better. It’s the only way to get ahead,” Yrjö Trög says.

Norrhydro Oy

• Established: 1985
• Founders: 15 former employees of Rova-Tekno Ky
• CEO: Yrjö Trög, from 1 November 2022 Matias Parviainen
• Domicile: Rovaniemi
• Headcount: Over 180
• Turnover: €24.7 million (2021)
• Group result for 2021 financial year: €0.35 million
• Adjusted group result for 2021 financial year: €1.6 million

Strong corporate culture basis for new ideas

The name of Vilpe Oy comes from the initials of Finnish words that sum up what the company does: drains, air conditioning, extractor hoods and discharges. However, the company, based in Korsholm, speaks more colloquially of roof “cones”. For example, the company’s most recent invention is a smart roof in which an algorithm monitors the structural humidity and adjusts ventilation accordingly.

“Our products have to release air as freely as possible, while simultaneously preventing water from entering. The ‘cones’ also have to withstand drastic temperature shifts,” CEO Tuomas Saikkonen says.

Vilpe, founded in 1975, has a group-wide headcount of 180 and turnover of €27.7 million. Export accounts for 55% of the company’s turnover.

The company has sought growth with consideration for risks.

“We make all our investments with equity. Right now, we’re conducting our eleventh factory expansion,” Saikkonen says.

Vilpe has been exceptionally successful in building its corporate culture. According to the owner, the biggest success factor has been candour and open communications both internally and externally.

“For a long time, we were an engineering company for whom innovation just meant new products. Now, innovation can also mean more creative marketing,” Saikkonen explains.

One visible example of this is TikTok, where Vilpe has over 90,000 followers and counting.

VILPE Oy

• Established: 1975
• Founder: Eero Saikkonen
• CEO: Tuomas Saikkonen
• Domicile: Korsholm
• Headcount: 180 employees
• Turnover: €22.8 million (2022/01)
• Operating result: €1.4 million (2022/01)

The National Entrepreneur Award is an award founded by Fennia and Suomen Yrittäjät which was first presented in 1968. Nowadays, in addition to these founder organizations, the selection committee includes the Association for Finnish Work and the Yksityisyrittäjäin Säätiö (sole entrepreneurs’ foundation).