Young Entrepreneur of the Year finalists selected – winner announced at Get Together party

The Young Entrepreneur of the Year competition is the most prestigious entrepreneurial competition for young people in Finland. The competition emphasizes the merits of entrepreneurship. The national Young Entrepreneur of the Year will be announced at the Young Entrepreneurs Get Together main event in Kauhava PowerPark on May 25.

– The competition features ambitious and creative young adults. Truly inspiring entrepreneurs with great growth stories. It’s great that there are examples of a change of ownership and a brick-and-mortar store owner, Network Manager of the Federation of Finnish Entrepreneurs Aicha Manai says.

Manai says that each finalist has been able to expand their operations efficiently, profitably and in a personal way.

– Each of our top five entrepreneurs also employs others and offers high-quality products and services to consumers. These young entrepreneurs are something to be proud of.

Last year's competition winner, entrepreneur at Laten Kone Lasse Saarenpaa says the title has brought a lot of positive feedback and visibility. The regional competition and the final candidacy attracted widespread attention.

– Success here has given me the resources and confidence to invest in the future. Since I don't always know how to appreciate my own work enough, this was a really important thing.

According to Saarenpää, competition success not only brings visibility but also credibility to the company.

– It brings a certain kind of reliability, which will certainly be reflected in business over time.

Max Grönholm's strength is personal service

Max Gronholm (28) founded his company, Maxin Kala, entirely from the perspective of the consumer, especially the slightly disappointed consumer. The entrepreneur decided to bring the “good old days” back to the 2010s by setting up a fish shop with a modern twist.

The main selling points of Max are the freshness of its fish products, customer-oriented and comprehensive service, professionalism in the kitchen's own products and seasoning, and the entrepreneur's passionate attitude towards cooking. What makes the company's operations particularly profitable and ethical is that there is no waste.

Thanks to Maxin Kala, Kauklahti, which can be considered a small village-like community, people from all over the capital region come to Herkkukatu, which was jointly conceived by four food entrepreneurs from Kauklahti. Maxin Kala employs three people, including the entrepreneur, year-round, and also seasonal workers. The growth is so strong that additional recruitments are coming.

Jarna Kaplas is revolutionizing the restaurant world

Especially in the restaurant industry, you can only succeed by standing out strongly. Jarna Kaplas (32) The owner of the restaurant, has developed a completely new restaurant concept: a shipping container restaurant that can be taken to places where permanent buildings are not suitable. The container restaurant Morton favors ingredients from local producers, which makes the restaurant's burgers especially tasty.

The container restaurant Morton is an excellent example of how a company that originated in a small rural community can become a nationally known brand. During the high season, Morton employs 50 people in five different locations.

Johannes Karjula understands from experience

Johannes Karjulan (31) The company, Trustmary Group, is looking for its clients' customers who will voluntarily share their experiences and produce content from them in various formats. The company's mission is to help customers make better purchasing decisions based on authentic, verified customer experiences. The unique concept of producing stories and research has attracted interest, as the company has worked with over 900 client companies in just a few years, and over 20 new videos are created per week.

In addition to video production, Trustmary has developed an online service for continuous feedback collection, finding recommenders, and publishing lightweight recommendations. It has 40 employees.

Tiina and Mikko Kohonen continue the family farm

Tiina ja Mikko Kohonen (30 and 33) continue the Vierula farm in Mäntyharju, which has been established since the 1930s. The farm's main products are berries and summer vegetables, freeze-dried berries, strawberry sparkling drinks and mulled wine. The farm has a diverse and extensive product range, which allows customers to be served comprehensively.

The entrepreneurs have brought 25 direct distribution agreements to small and large stores in the surrounding area. The company delivers all of its products directly to the stores and does not use wholesalers, guaranteeing the quality of each product. The quality of the farm's products is also evidenced by customer relationships spanning many decades.

The entrepreneurs at the Vierula farm have continuously developed new production methods and products, bringing more vitality to the small market area. It provides employment for 45 employees.

Arttu Muukkonen invests in quality

Arttu Muukkonen (34) is the proud co-owner of Finland's best roastery (2018), Lehmus Roastery. The specialty coffee industry has traditionally focused on addressing only coffee enthusiasts, but Lehmus Roastery has directed its message to ordinary people who drink coffee and want to drink the same coffee. The company has boldly invested in new production equipment that automates production and operations to enable growth. The roastery has hired employees at the same rate as production has increased.

Training, attending international events and continuous learning are the company's core activities that keep it at the forefront of international development. In addition to the owners, the roastery employs nine employees.

There are also other companies in Muukkonen, such as Lehmus Roastery.

Nearly 400 proposals in the competition

The finalists were selected from among the 17 winners of the preliminary competitions organized by the regional organizations of the Federation of Finnish Enterprises. Candidates for the preliminary competitions were submitted by the local associations of the Federation of Finnish Enterprises and member entrepreneurs. In their nominations, the local associations used the information collected from citizens last autumn, of which there were almost 400.

The Young Entrepreneur of the Year will be awarded 20,000 euros, the second place winner 7,000 euros and the third place winner 3,000 euros. The prize money is provided by the Private Entrepreneur Foundation. The other finalists will receive the Serial Entrepreneur Award. Kim Väisänen as a mentor.

The Young Entrepreneur of the Year is chosen by a jury consisting of last year's winner of the competition, entrepreneur Lasse Saarenpää, entrepreneur Kim Väisänen, SGN Group and the Private Entrepreneurs Foundation. Sam Nieminen and Field Director of Finnish Entrepreneurs Mari Kokko.

Young entrepreneurs are one of the strategic priorities of the Federation of Finnish Entrepreneurs.

Tiina Rantakoski

tiina.rantakoski (at) yrittajat.fi

Photos: Tapio Auvinen