TRUE STORIES of miracle makers

TRUE STORIES of miracle makers

iisalmi.fi #byiisalmi #letsmakemiraclestogether

WE DON´T EXPECT MIRACLES. WE MAKE THEM HAPPEN.

RURAL LIFE WITH GLOBAL ACCESS

– at home in Iisalmi.

In Iisalmi, you will enjoy a rural lifestyle with easy access to the world beyond. Right on your doorstep are pristine nature and waters with all the opportunities they offer and a wide range of services when you need them.

You’ll discover a unique, laid-back lifestyle on a human scale.

A place of miracle makers, Iisalmi offers career opportunities in international companies, a supportive and inspiring community, and vibrant cultural and sports venues to help you get fit like never before!

In Finland, Iisalmi is known for its good schools.

Our early-years provision is centred around

nurturing and enriching the unique, adventurous time of childhood.

A few of us Iisalmi people have got together to tell you about our town’s miracle-making qualities, and to make sure that they are sustained.

We have a community of happy people and prosperous companies where respect feeds a positive cycle of success. A rather amazing place to run a business and live your life. A place where you can have a rural lifestyle with easy access to the world beyond, enjoying both the beauty of nature and the opportunities of an exciting business community. A place where we will make miracles together.

Welcome home. Welcome to Iisalmi!

IN THIS BROCHURE you’ll hear true stories of Iisalmi’s miracle makers. True stories of skills that are as strong as iron, of solid cooperation between our international companies, and of the caring lifestyle of a community where we are building a bright future together while ecologically and responsibly looking after our environment.

FIND MORE TRUE STORIES about miracle makers online: Watch the stories at iisalmi.fi/tositarinoita.

Way of life Life in the front row

Eco-friendly life Loving is caring

Strong as iron Solid cooperation

WAY OF LIFE

At home LIFE IS EASY

Home. It’s that wonderful place that brings to mind childhood, sunny summers and ice cream.

Bees buzzing, yellow dandelions dotting the fields and sunlight reflecting off the lake’s surface by the horizon.

Grandma's special treats smelling delicious in the large kitchen, set on a long table with benches. The walls covered with the traditional cardboard lining paper that’s stood the test of time.

“I came back to Iisalmi five years ago and since then I've realised that for me, this is home. It's a place where life feels good.”

i

Wherever life takes us, we all carry the childhood memories with us, and they will stay no matter how many countries, seas or mountains we may cross. It was the experience of this man, too.

“We've been around the world with the band. We must have performed in thirty countries or more,” says Remmel from Steve ’n’ Seagulls.

For his people in Iisalmi, he’s Tomi Tajakka, the boy next door all grown up.

The years might have caught up with him but he still has the same laughter and that same face, not forgetting the boyish pranks, no matter how much he’s seen of the world.

With his band, Tomi has toured the UK, the States, Sweden, Germany and Australia.

“Iisalmi is a great base. It’s easy to start touring from here, but it’s even nicer to come back because the people here are so easy to get along with. It’s effortless, with a laid-back lifestyle.”

IISALMI PEOPLE (On 31 Dec 2019) Population (31 Dec 2020) Population average age Under 15 years 15-64 years Over 64 years

21,368 45.6 years 15.2 % 58.4 % 23.6 %

Iisalmi people are known for being friendly and cheerful, entrepreneurial and positive.

Toni says he lived away from Iisalmi for far too long. He spent around sixteen years in places all around Finland before he returned.

“I came back to Iisalmi five years ago and since then I've realised that for me, this is home.

It's a place where life feels good.”

Scan the QR code for a video about what Iisalmi means to Tomi, a singer who travels around the world with his guitar.

ECO-FRIENDLY LIFE

“Our goal is to make products as sustainable as possible, and we take the utmost care of nature in producing them.”

Sound of nature

Gazing at the beautiful vista across Porovesi Lake in Luuniemi, you wouldn't know that you're only 500 metres from Iisalmi’s market square.

It’s so tranquil and serene around here. So quiet that you can hear it and almost touch it. No humming or rattling, no squealing or even splashing.

In this silence that has become perceptible to the senses the best audio systems are made. With these loudspeakers you can hear the quietude of nature.

Music professionals around the world have praised the natural sound of Genelec, and that is created here in Luuniemi, Iisalmi.

“Genelec’s appreciation for nature is born out of the values that are important to our people,” says Maria Martikainen.

Earth’s climate, we can all strive to act in an environmentally responsible way because small actions do make a difference.

Taking responsibility for our environment is a big thing, even larger than life. No matter what humanity gets up to, our actions invariably have an impact on nature. So, what we should ask is how well do people and businesses consider the consequences of their actions. Genelec has an answer.

Just look at one Swedish teenager who was able to make the whole world think about the climate change. Change is created with small steps but for Genelec, environmental responsibility is a major theme.

“Our goal is to make products as sustainable as possible, and we take the utmost care of nature in producing them.”

Climate change concerns us all. While big nations and large companies far across the oceans may have a greater impact on the

i IISALMI GEOGRAPHY Total area of which 762.97 km is land and 109.21 km is fresh water

872.18 km²

Total shoreline

746,48 km

Population density (30/06/2020) people per km of land

27,98

Iisalmi lies within the headwaters of two major lake systems, Saimaa and Päijänne.

Scan the QR code for a video about how and why Katso videolta, mille Karhun hyvä sydän sykkii!

Genelec considers nature in all their actions.

“For us, it means continuously and critically reviewing and challenging the ways in which we think and act,” says Maria Martikainen.

STRONG AS IRON

Energising

EACH OTHER

The strong entrepreneurial spirit in the Iisalmi region is a phenomenon known nationwide, dubbed the miracle of Iisalmi.

“We're always organising and doing lots of fun things together. It's energising and you feel all refreshed again.”

When female energy is added to the mix, it takes it to another level and creates women-owned businesses.

The women business owners know each other well and support each other. Close collaboration, caring for each other and doing things together are all close to the heart of these enterprising women.

Established in 1952, when Finland hosted the Olympic Games, Iisalmi Region Women's Enterprise Association changed its name ten years ago to include the neighbouring regions in its activities. The Association has been successful in keeping alive its original spirit and honourable traditions.

“We energise each other,” says Association chair Tiina Karppinen.

This dynamic group of entrepreneurs meets up regularly. The first members turned up at the founding meeting after they had seen an invitation for a new club, and since then the Association has never been short of new people.

i IISALMI INDUSTRIES Total jobs (30/12/2018) 4.2% in primary production, 26.4% secondary production and 68.1% services.

Workplace self-sufficiency (30/12/2018) Businesses (2019)

9,159

108.4% 1,303 kpl

Ylä-Savo region’s business turnover in total (2019)

€ 2,723 million (Iisalmi, Kiuruvesi, Vieremä, Sonkajärvi, Lapinlahti) Ylä-Savo region’s business exports in total (2019)

€ 581 million (Iisalmi, Kiuruvesi, Vieremä, Sonkajärvi, Lapinlahti)

“They are what bind us businesswomen together.

With the busy lives we lead, our activities give us so much joy and energy,” says business owner Eila Sirviö smiling.

Amongst the happy chatter, the owners make useful contacts. The members have created a warm, collegial and understanding community where people appreciate each other and successfully attract both new clients and business partners.

Scan the QR code for a video exploring how women business owners use cooperation to empower each other.

“So many new, driven, energetic and simply wonderful people. That’s the secret of our success.”

ECO-FRIENDLY LIFE

It’s not too far TO TRAVEL

How far is Iisalmi from Hotel Hilton in Mogliano in Italy, or Pretoria University campus in South Africa?

If you were to ask someone working with Thermowood in Soinlahti, not very far at all. Depends on which route you're taking, they’d say.

Located in Soinlahti in Iisalmi, Lunawood is not only the world’s largest Thermowood producer, but also an innovative pioneer and international market leader. “We use heat and steam to treat Finnish pine and spruce to make it last where ordinary timber wouldn't stand a chance,” says Saara Kettunen from Lunawood.

Wood treated by Lunawood is shipped from Iisalmi to more than sixty countries across the globe.

Thermowood has a great deal of end uses, but they all are all environmentally friendly applications of timber construction.

Lunawood Thermowood features in Hotel Hilton’s facade in Mogliano, a town located an hour's drive from Venice.

“Lunawood people are extremely committed to and passionate about their work.

We take a lot of pride in Thermowood.”

Scan the QR code for a video about what Iisalmi's Katso videolta, mille Karhun hyvälooks sydänlike sykkii! hot Thermowood miracle in Saara’s hands.

In Pretoria, the new university campus has been finished with Thermowood pine solar shades.

Other projects include hotels in Belek, Turkey, and Pattaya, Thailand, floating luxury villas in Dubai and a healthcare and day care centre in Kaskinen.

Having started from nothing in 2002, Lunawood had become a global market leader in ten years.

In Finland, this growth enterprise employs people in its production plants in Iisalmi, Kaskinen and Joensuu, and has more than a hundred employees at its headquarters in Lahti.

“Lunawood people are extremely committed to and passionate about their work. We take a lot of pride in our Thermowood.”

“Lunawood people are extremely committed to and passionate about their work. We take a lot of pride in Thermowood.”

WAY OF LIFE

Bear´s GOOD HEART

Every member of the local hockey team Peli-Karhut has a big bear's heart, no matter what the size of the players.

All of those hearts beat for hockey, raising the roof in the local stadium when Peli-Karhut pull on their jerseys and go out on the ice.

But what happens when the matches end and the ice melts?

“It started at the end of March 2020 when covid-19 stopped the entire society in its tracks and our activities with it,” says Mika Hyvärinen from the local sports club IPK. Young and fit Peli-Karhut players found themselves to be the lucky ones in society. They were used to teamwork on the ice and were respected by their fellow players.

So when the covid-19 crisis happened, the big hearts felt it keenly. In their bear cave, the players thought about ways to help those who were not as fortunate as themselves.

They discovered new ways of working together and a new rule book to play from. “Together with Olvi Foundation and our many sponsors, we have been able to give help and run food deliveries around Iisalmi,” says Hyvärinen.

Since spring 2020, an entire rink full of Peli-Karhu players have delivered food, organised activities for older people to keep up their spirits, and done shopping and picked up medication for people in risk groups.

“Together with Olvi Foundation and our many sponsors we have been able to give help and run food deliveries around Iisalmi.”

Players, head coaches and top management have all pitched in. Because they all share in the big bear's heart.

“As the local sports club, we take responsibility for the region’s wellbeing. Olvi Foundation’s support has been incredibly valuable to us in this difficult situation. I feel that it is an acknowledgement of our long-term approach to social responsibility,” says IPK’s president Jarmo Ylisipola.

They have stuck together and cared for others, showing that Peli-Karhut is one big bear family.

Scan the QR code for a video explaining what makes this bear's big heart beat!

WAY OF LIFE

“Come and join us at Liike for fun exercise that is guaranteed to make you feel great! This is something I absolutely love doing, and I would love to share the experience with you.”

Passionate about BUSINESS

A rolling stone gathers no moss. Neither does a physically active person.

Born and raised in Iisalmi, Laila Kämäräinen adopted a physically active lifestyle more than twenty years ago. In her experience, exercise is the best medicine, just as it says in her company advertisement.

“I’ve been a big fan of exercise for more than twenty years. I’ve been doing it as a living for more than ten years, and now I’m into my fourth year as a business owner,” Kämäräinen recounts.

After working as an instructor in a sports centre for ten years, Laila decided to take a giant leap with her husband Timo Korhonen: they bought their former employer’s company, Liike Bowling and Sports Centre located in the Kankaan Liikuntapuisto sports park.

The previous owners had transformed the former tennis and squash hall into a versatile sports facility with tennis courts, a well-equipped gym, and an eight-lane bowling alley. The facilities also included various simulators and conference rooms.

Scan the QR code to watch a video where Laila, a By Iisalmi ambassador, invites you to embrace an active lifestyle.

After they bought the business, the couple have picked up their pace. As business owners they tend to work long hours, but thanks to their background – a fitness instructor and a personal trainer – they are fit for the task.

“Group exercise classes and encouraging people to adopt an active lifestyle is my passion. I want to make you move, laugh, feel good, and love a healthy life.”

What was first a hobby became a passion, then a job. A job gradually turned into the business of encouraging others to become physically active and feel better.

“Come and join us at Liike for fun exercise that is guaranteed to make you feel great. This is something I absolutely love doing, and I would love to share the experience with you.”

Liike Sports Centre makes small miracles happen every day. People come in tired, but after a fun and invigorating exercise class they emerge revitalised, ready to perform miracles the next day.

STRONG AS IRON

Powerful COOPERATION

There is strength in numbers. A great team produces better results than one player alone. This is the approach adopted by local companies.

Describing this cooperation, the company’s Managing Director Olli Karhunen uses the words ‘in our immediate vicinity’ instead of ‘near’.

The first man to express the need for such cooperation was Einari Vidgrén, the founder of Ponsse, a manufacturer of forestry machines. Ponsse is one of the two companies that have contributed to the emergence of a strong as iron cooperation network in Ylä-Savo.

“We have a highly efficient process for supplying surface-finished and machined cast components from the immediate vicinity of our foundry.” It’s not a long way from the immediate vicinity of the foundry to the next door neighbour: there’s not even a fence between them.

Local companies have discovered that every trip, no matter how short, is worth taking if it means you can help someone out, even if it makes your own load slightly heavier.

A partner in this strong as iron cooperation is Metallityö Vainio, a contract manufacturer for metal engineering and construction companies. Its Managing Director Tommi Lähteinen ensures they work in close cooperation with companies of all sizes.

Iisalmi-based Suomivalimo is a supplier of medium-heavy cast iron components and a reliable, flexible and local partner to its customers. Founded in Helsinki in 1918, the foundry relocated to Iisalmi in 1975. Local cooperation provides a wealth of potential for the company.

“Thanks to close cooperation between companies in the Iisalmi region, Metallityö Vainio can deliver world-class components to world-class equipment manufacturers. ”

i INTERNATIONAL IISALMI – A REGIONAL CENTRE FOR EXPORTS

Inari

Iisalmi is the centre of the Ylä-Savo economic area, which has a population of approximately 55,000.

Rovaniemi Kuusamo

The value of Ylä-Savo’s exports amounted to 581 million euros in 2019, making it the region’s strongest exports area.

Oulu

Kajaani

Companies with global operations have attracted service business and component manufacturers to the area.

Kuopio Joensuu Jyväskylä

Iisalmi is served by excellent rail and road connections, and is just an hour’s drive from the nearest airport.

Lappeenranta Turku

Helsinki

These routes offer premium products made in Iisalmi easy access to international markets.

Scan the QR code to watch a video explaining the impact of strong local cooperation on industry in Iisalmi.

“Thanks to close cooperation between companies in the Iisalmi region, Metallityö Vainio can deliver world-class components to world-class equipment manufacturers,” he says with pride.

ECO-FRIENDLY LIFE

Wilderness studies provide VALUABLE SKILLS FOR LIFE

Juho Vaarala is a local youngster who loves the great outdoors. He knows the local cross-country ski tracks and nature trails like the back of his hand. “At school my class specialised in nature and wilderness studies, and we learned things like lighting a campfire and ice fishing.”

Certainly more than there are in Helsinki or Tampere,” Juho estimates.

For Juho, nature is part of his everyday life.

An outdoor adventure is always within easy reach when you live in Iisalmi! Juho lives in a part of Iisalmi named after an owl. Pöllösenlahti – the Owl Cove – is located just a mile from Iisalmi city centre, yet close to nature. In fact, this description fits all residential areas in Iisalmi: you are never far from the woods and waterways.

For a youngster like Juho, climbing trees is most likely a skill he picked up during his outdoor excursions. Bitten by the nature bug, Juho chose hiking and camping as elective subjects at school.

“I believe I will learn many skills that will be useful later in life,” he reckons.

Just beyond Pöllösenlahti is the Paloisvuori outdoor recreational area with excellent ski tracks and other leisure activities. “There are plenty of woods in every neighbourhood in Iisalmi, I’d say.

“When you walk in the nearby woods, you can spot animals and observe the changes and transformation in nature.”

Scan the QR code to watch a video where Juho explains what Iisalmi’s nature and wilderness mean to him.

Nature is always close by in this town. “When you walk in the nearby woods, you can spot animals and observe the changes and transformation in nature,” Juho says.

And he has a point – camping and wilderness skills will always be useful. Living in Iisalmi comes with a luxury not available to everyone: the nearest nature trail starts at your doorstep.

STRONG AS IRON

“If you want something badly enough and believe in yourself, you can go far.”

Soaring

YOUNG ENTREPRENEURS

Iisalmi has been known as a place for trade and commerce since the mid-19th century when the Governor of the Province of Kuopio first allowed merchants in Iisalmi and gave permission to organise the town’s first fair. Since then, the town has seen many tradespeople with a firm belief in their own business idea.

Some companies were big and others small, but they all had one thing in common: they became successful. Some have fared better than others, but none could be accused of lacking a strong spirit of enterprise.

An Iisalmi-based car dealership owner who hasn’t even turned twenty yet, Valtteri Roivainen puts it succinctly: “I prefer being a business owner to being a car salesman. Running my own company is more interesting and motivating.” The enterprising young man started his car dealership a year ago.

“If you want something badly enough and believe in yourself, you can go far,” the business owner says. Business owner.

Someone who is his own master. Someone who has the freedom to do things their way. “I always felt that a regular job is like a rat race, and I want nothing to do with it. When you run your own business, every day is different. You never know what’s going to happen next.”

Today, we have Olvi and Genelec. The Iisalmi pharmacy and JiiVee Automyynti car dealership. And hundreds of other businesses, big and small, all eager to succeed and serve their customers.

Just like Valtteri Roivainen, they want to see how far their idea will go, and whether their business will soar. Iisalmi provides excellent opportunities for doing just that.

Scan the QR code to watch a video of Valtteri sharing his thoughts about being a business owner.

Fun and fitness for everyone IN IISALMI

Iisalmi invests strongly in promoting an active and healthy lifestyle. Well maintained and easily accessible recreational facilities provide an inspiration for physical activity for people of all ages. In Iisalmi, everyone will be able to find their favourite from the wide range of recreational activities available!

More about recreational and leisure services in Iisalmi:

Iisalmi also offers an abundance of cultural services and experiences that are guaranteed to boost your wellbeing and vitality. Iisalmi Cultural Centre with venues for concerts, theatre, exhibitions and conferences is the heart of local culture. It also houses many services such as the city library.

Other venues for local events, history and culture include the Koljonvirta area.

More about the region’s cultural services:

Tasting life IN THE IISALMI

REGION

Savo is famous for its hospitality and pristine nature; both are good reasons to visit the Iisalmi region to enjoy the taste of local life. The region boasts a vast range of recreational and cultural activities, offering fun things to do for every season. Sample the selection of beers brewed locally, learn about the inspirational local businesses, immerse yourself in local culture, and visit places of historical and cultural significance. Comfortable accommodation with privacy, peace and quiet is available in urban and rural locations alike.

READ MORE AND COME VISIT US!

www.iisalmijatienoot.fi

#iisalmijatienoot #iisalmiregion

WAY OF LIFE

Finland’s BEST TEACHERS

Mentioning fellow teachers and his employer makes the eyes of Tommi Lehto, an Iisalmi-based teacher, sparkle and brings a big smile to his face.

“We have the best teachers in Finland here in Iisalmi,” says Lehto, a teacher at the Juhani Aho school. Emphasis on the words ‘we’ and ‘Finland’s best’ indicate that the school’s teachers share a strong team spirit and collegial pride.

“We are provided with regular training, and we have excellent tools and devices for teaching. We also provide great learning tools for each student,” he continues. Indeed they do. Iisalmi has invested significantly in digital learning: each comprehensive school student is provided with a personal computer. Younger pupils carry iPads in their backpacks while older students have laptops.

This digital transformation in Iisalmi’s schools was made possible by the City of Iisalmi, with contribution from the Olvi Foundation and the A.E. Aminoff Fund.

But Iisalmi does not rely solely on computers. “Thanks to our excellent resources we are able to provide more tuition to students than other Finnish municipalities on average.” In Iisalmi, each student receives ten hours more tuition in comprehensive school every year than students in other Finnish towns on average. This amounts to six months of additional tuition during compulsory schooling.

However, it’s not quantity that counts, it’s quality. School buildings are being modernised, students have easy access to sports facilities such as the Kankaan liikuntapuisto sports park, not to mention the brand-new indoor swimming pool to be completed in 2022.

“This is a great place for a physical education teacher. Access to the local sports facilities ensures highly versatile PE lessons.”

“Thanks to our excellent resources we are able to provide more tuition to students than other Finnish municipalities on average.”

Scan the QR code to watch an interview with Tommi about the schools in Iisalmi.

Art

PASSES ON FROM ONE GENERATION TO THE NEXT

When Karl Collan composed Sylvian joululaulu, a traditional Finnish Christmas song, he was blissfully unaware that one of the concert halls at the Iisalmi Cultural Centre would be named after him. This acoustically outstanding hall, designed to host classical music concerts, has served as a venue for dozens of concerts. Savolaisten laulu, a regional anthem composed by Collan, has also been sung in this hall countless times. Little did Collan know that this hall would serve as an inspiration for young local music students nearly two hundred years later.

“Iisalmi provides a wonderful setting for anyone interested in music and culture,” says Meri Kettunen, currently a music student in Tampere.

According to Kettunen, who studied music at the Ylä-Savo Music Institute, there is such a wealth of leisure activities available for young people in Iisalmi that everyone can easily find something they like. The Ylä-Savo Music Institute is a case in point. “Wonderful teachers, great projects and events, and excellent facilities inspired me to pursue music first as a hobby and later as a career.” If he were here, in this room named after him, listening to the beautiful sounds emerging from Meri Kettunen’s violin, Collan would smile approvingly. In Iisalmi, art is seamlessly passed on from one generation to the next.

Meri Kettunen will certainly not be the last Iisalmi-born musician to succeed in the music business. Iisalmi has raised several leading Finnish classical music and popular music artists, not to mention skilled jazz musicians who come to Iisalmi to play in concerts all year round.

STRONG AS IRON

Proud of HIS CREW

Iisalmi-based Purkumerkki is the perfect example of how the Iisalmi region nurtures business.

Mikko Mähönen started his business in 2015. He had a business idea but no capital.

“I did take a payday loan for the share capital,” Mikko confesses.

After a modest start, Mikko’s business grew quickly. In its first financial year, Purkumerkki generated a turnover of more than 400,000 euros. The next year, the company moved into a higher gear and doubled its turnover.

Mikko’s payday loan was soon repaid. “My original idea was to carry out indoor demolition work.

But then we decided to make a bold move and invest in machinery.”

“Suddenly we realised we were able to compete with the big national demolition firms, and we haven’t changed course since.”

Purkumerkki currently operates nationwide, from as far south as Helsinki to as far north as Rovaniemi. At the moment, the company employs 20 full-time personnel, and its turnover has tripled from the first year. Every year, the company has grown.

“I am incredibly proud of my crew. We have been able to deliver on projects with really tight schedules and high environmental demands.”

Part of Purkumerkki’s strong as iron competence is the ability to almost fully recycle all materials from the demolition site.

“There are no buildings that we would not be able to demolish. Schools, industrial plants, hospitals, even playhouses. Whatever we are asked to tear down, we will.”

“I am incredibly proud of my crew.

We have been able to deliver on projects with really tight schedules and high environmental demands.”

Scan the QR code to watch a video of Mikko’s ordinary day at a demolition site.

We don´t expect miracles.

WE MAKE THEM HAPPEN. In Iisalmi, everyone makes an effort to contribute to the common good. We all work together to ensure that Iisalmi is and will be known for it´s ability to make miracles happen, and as a home for happy people and successful businesses.

A place that is easy to love.

Take a peek inside the covers of this publication and get to know some of our residents — our everyday miracle makers.

If you want to perform miracles of your own, read more about the world-class companies in the Iisalmi region and about the career opportunities they offer.

CITY OF IISALMI Pohjolankatu 14, P.O. Box 10, FI-74101 Iisalmi firstname.lastname@iisalmi.fi

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