Meet our member FCR Finland, a marine industry turnkey provider with a strong focus on R&D. This interview was held at Visitor and Innovation Centre Joki, for some of the latest FCR innovations were on display at Joki’s exhibition area!

Who are you?
Ari Nousiainen, I´m working in FCR Finland as R&D manager.

What is your company specialized in?
Our company is originally specialized in cruise ships refurbishment business but nowadays we also have projects in newbuildings. We are a turnkey supplier in cruise ships both for public areas and cabin areas. In R&D which I lead at FCR, we concentrate on supporting our basic business by doing new products and solutions to building process. Also new products to launch to shipbuilding markets and new business creation possibilities to FCR are in my focus.

Tell us about your clients and other key shareholders or partners?
Our refurbishment project customers are the largest cruise ship owners in the world, such as Carnival, RCCL and NCL. In newbuildings we currently have projects to Turku shipyard. If we talk about products that our R&D is launching, we use them by ourselves to get competitive advantage and in selected cases to advance getting new business. Typically, our new products are used in shipbuilding by the owners, shipyards or network companies.

Our focus in R&D is to improve the cost competitiveness, modularisation, energy efficiency and sustainability of our products. This year we have launched some new products and there is still a number of products coming that support those values and I hope these products and solutions reach also wider scope in marine industry.

What services or products do you offer to other YardMate members?
In general we do turnkey projects “from steel to steel” but when we talk about our R&D developed products we have products and solutions to interior works and cabin area solutions. We are IMO classified and have launched e.g. a ceramic coating product that can be used for covering and to protect tile and steel/aluminium surfaces with any RAL colour or transparent coating. Our product is called CerCo and it gives durable and strong surface with high wear and chemical resistance.

Another new product is a new type of wet unit floor concept. It is durable and lightweight, up to 68 % lighter than some competitors’ equivalent in market. With this concept it should also be noted that it is a fully waterproof structure with good insulation and sustainability values. I´m proud to say that with our building method we are using even 50 % recycled materials of total weight and recyclability of the new product is even 80 %. These values are more than four times better than the known competitors’ values.

In the near future we shall bring out a fire classified light-weight panel construction where the weight is minimum 30 % lighter than the competitors’ equivalent, 100 % waterproof, made at least 70 % of recycled materials and recyclability up to 90 %.

What are your expectations for YardMate?
We hope that YardMate concept will help us introduce our new products and connect us to potential customers and of course support the growth of Finnish maritime business.

What are your future needs regarding personnel?
Today we are desperately seeking skilled project managers and also persons who have a good motivation to work in challenging cruise ships building works. Hopefully in the near future we have capability to start supporting our new products to market and there we need both sellers and also skilled specialists to do and implement our new products to our future customers’ use.

b) And regarding sub-contractors and partners?
We continuously try to implement new ways of working together to collaborate with companies in our network and we welcome new partners to participate in the FCR way of working.

If you are interested in new product R&D, please contact ari.nousiainen@fcr-finland.fi. For FCR ongoing activities and recruiting possibilities, please contact mikko.varjanne@fcr-finland.fi.

Anything else you wish to say to us?
I see that YardMate is an opportunity to Finnish shipbuilding companies to collaborate in a network and also to get new contacts in business. I wish YardMate will have great success and together we finally get Finnish shipbuilding companies to work together, not to compete with each other. Cruise ship newbuilding and refurbishment markets are in a historical market demand. Business is growing so rapidly that we should combine our forces to get the “Finnish share” from markets. We should start to collaborate and also push our political and governmental members and other authorities to support Finnish maritime industry. Maritime industry could really be the missed new Nokia if we combined our national forces at all levels.

And what can I say to Ari’s closing remark but that I totally agree!

Photos by FCR Finland and Annika Perho

Alihankinta-messut 25.-27.9. on Suomen teollisuuden vuoden tapahtuma.  Kaikki 1000 näytteilleasettajapaikkaa on myyty loppuun. YardMate-verkosto on messuilla mukana ratkaisemassa tuottavuuden haasteita.

YardMate-verkoston näytteilleasettajat

Enersense International Oyj, osasto C 740. Rakennus- ja huoltohankkeiden optimointi
Oy Kaha Ab, osasto C 923. Ajoneuvoteollisuus / teknisen tukkukaupan maahantuonti
NaMe Metal Oy, osasto E 1020. Ohutlevyosien valmistus
SimFors Oy, osasto A 735. Koneistus ja kokoonpano
Steerprop Ltd. Laivojen potkurilaitteet. Päämiehenä Hallaworks Oy:n osastolla C 821
Tammet Oy, osasto A 1009. Metalliverkkotuotteet ja metalliritilät
VPS Henkilöstöpalvelu Oy, osasto A 404. Henkilöstövuokraus, rekrytointi ja ulkoistamispalvelut

Tee sujuvasti perinteistä tai innovoi uutta. Verkostossa volyymia, kaikupohjaa ideoille, erikoisalojen tietämystä ja toteutuskumppaneita löytyy muista aktiivisista jäsenistä. Katso verkostomme TÄÄLTÄ.

Käy osastoilla, kysy ja haasta. Tai ota koppi sinulle heitetystä haasteesta!

Teollisuusyritykset ja startupit verkostoituvat AlihankintaHEAT-tapahtumassa, jonka kumppani YardMate on. Ke 26.9. klo 12.40–12.55 YardMaten tj. Kari Härkönen puhuu Heat Stagella PK-yritysten tehokkaasta alihankinnasta, jonka jälkeen hän liittyy paneelikeskusteluun aiheesta digitalisaatio, teollisuuden murros ja innovaatiot.

Katso AlihankintaHEAT-ohjelma täältä.

Antoisaa messua ja menestystä bisnekseen!

Alihankintamessut kokoavat koko Suomen teollisuuden Tuottavuus-teeman ympärille. Startupien ja teollisuusyritysten
AlihankintaHEAT-tapahtumassa YardMaten toimitusjohtaja Kari Härkösen puheenvuoron teemana 26.9. on PK-yritysten yhteistyö ja alihankinnan tehokkuus. Tämän jälkeen siirrytään paneelikeskusteluun aiheesta digitalisaatio, teollisuuden murros ja innovaatiot.

Jyväskylän alueen Palokka-lehti 13.9.2018

YardMate, with its network member Sims Pump Valve Company, has opened discussions with Viking Line Abp, a public limited company and a market-leading brand in passenger traffic on the northern Baltic Sea.

Sims Pump Valve Company is a manufacturer of Simsite structural composite Impellers and Rings for centrifugal pumps and producer of Simsite structural composite pumps. YardMate is a shipbuilding consortium that supports shipbuilders, shipyards and marine subcontractors in their operations.

The three companies met at Viking Line headquarters in Mariehamn, Åland. Viking Line was represented by Senior Vice President Ulf Hagström, Superintendent, Engine LNG Kenneth Johansson and Technical Fleet Manager, Marine Operations Joacim Westerlund. The Sims representatives, President John Kozel and Project Manager Vladimir Agapitov flew to the meeting from New Jersey, U.S. YardMate was represented by CEO Kari Härkönen, the company founder and co-owner. The foundation for successful continuing discussions has been laid!

Photos by Kari Härkönen

YardMate CEO Kari Härkönen wants Central Finland to join the marine industry boom! Resources are needed way beyond what Turku area can provide.

Read full article (in Finnish) by Keskisuomalainen, click the image:

Images by Keskisuomalainen

For companies interested in getting into marine business, please contact YardMate Manager Annika Perho, tel. 040 831 1130

The multitude of talent needed in ship design, offshore engineering and construction support services – meet our member Deltamarin and Kristian Knaapi, who has been in the marine industry since 1998, both hands-on and in design and management.

Who are you?
Kristian Knaapi, Head of Sales & Marketing at Deltamarin Ltd

What is your company specialized in?
Deltamarin provides ship design, offshore engineering and construction support services for all vessel types for marine and offshore industries worldwide. We cover a vessel’s complete lifecycle – from concept development and engineering to project management during shipbuilding and commissioning, and services during operation.

Tell us about your clients and other keyholders or partners?
Ship owners and operators, shipyards, oil companies, offshore contractors and marine suppliers are all our esteemed clients.

We also use several engineering companies as subcontractors especially in larger projects.

What services or products do you offer to other YardMate members?
To YardMate members we offer design and consulting services for all design disciplines throughout a vessel’s lifecycle.

What are your expectations for YardMate?
Even if the major part of our revenue is coming from abroad we are still open to provide our services to YardMate members and co-operate with them.

We would also like to take the change to present Deltamarin as a good choice for employer to skilled people and future talents through Yardmate. We can offer global growing possibilities in the field of marine technology.

What are your future needs regarding personnel?
For the time being we are looking for persons with technical background interested in becoming ship designers.

And regarding sub-contractors and partners?
As our workload is growing we are always interested in skilful sub-contractors.

Anything else you wish to say to us?
From writer’s point of view my work history here in Deltamarin has been great. Deltamarin is a company offering various possibilities in this business area. During the years when the personal experience has grown this company has been offering always new challenges and duties for me.

Thanks for the interview, Kristian! A company of Deltamarin’s magnitude and with over 5000 project references certainly offers possibilities, both for its employees and for partners and subcontractors. And they are looking for skilled persons with technical background. Interested? Check their website www.deltamarin.com and leave an open application.

Photos by Deltamarin and Annika Perho

Are your work clothes functional? Comfortable? Safe to use? In marine and other industrial workwear, there are numerous aspects to consider based on standards – and much more when you add comfort and servicing the product full life-cycle for the customer company. How could Leijona’s (‘lion’ in Finnish) great concept help your company? Learn from Heidi Lehto, below.

Who are you?
Heidi Lehto, the Area Sales Manager for southwest Finland. Full of energy and passion for active dialogue with our customers looking for high quality industrial workwear solutions. I live at the coastline of the beautiful Naantali city, in the heart of archipelago and idyllic guest harbours. However, having an ultimate experience of marine excursions, both in private and in business.

What is your company specialized in?
LEIJONA (Leijona Group Ltd) designs workwear for nearly all industries, for different assignments and situations with the strategy attention to occupational safety, functionality, quality, performance, comfort and fit. We focus on meeting our customers’ needs, not just directives and safety standards. The own Finnish design and product development in companion with customers, suppliers and authorities ensures excellent industrial workwear solutions. Leijona has designed workwear for decades, in close cooperation with leading Finnish industrial corporations. In addition to custom made workwear solutions, we can also offer a complete service solution that covers the entire life-cycle of a product, including laundry concepts. As a member of Fristads Kansas Group we can also offer international logistics.

Tell us about your clients and other partners?
Leijona has earned the professionals’ respect with long-term work. Many of our customers are leading names of their industry and expect the same professionalism and expertise from us. Our partnership is based on active dialogue, individual service and customised solutions that help our customers do their work in the best possible way. Our aim is to find a permanent and holistic solution to all needs. This can be a unique detail in a workwear, expert help on workwear standards, a cost effective laundry concept or all the above.

What services or products do you offer to other YardMate members?
We offer wearable possibilities with more value than expected. Leijona’s personality is to listen, to be practical, fearless and loyal. We’d like to offer our expert advice on promoting safety in the marine workplace as well as a customized service concept to reduce costs and increase efficiency. For sales matters, you can be in contact with our Area Sales Manager Heidi Lehto, heidi.lehto@leijonagroup.com. In Turku, we have also a new dealer Naali workwear led by the great Stina Kuikka, naali@naali.fi. Serving you the best way ever.

Heidi (left), Stina (right) and the shop lion

What are your expectations for YardMate?
Our Finnish roots are evident in our honest nature and straightforward way of working. We hope YardMate will bring the Finnish or members from abroad together, open doors and create new business opportunities for the whole marine industry in bigger picture.

What are your future needs regarding personnel?
No open jobs available at the moment, but we’ll be constantly looking for unique professionals interested in workwear industry.

And regarding sub-contractors and partners?
Wide ranged know-how means building better world. We are willing to co-operate with any partner adding more value in our services or theirs in return.

Anything else you wish to say to us?
Safety is peace of mind! The industrial workwear is made to use, not for decoration.

It was great to interview you, Heidi and have the possibility also to visit Naali shop, Stina Kuikka and the fearless shop lion. You are an energetic team! An abundant workwear offering – patterns drawn specifically for Finns – and the possibility to custom solutions. Recommended!

Photos by Leijona and Annika Perho

Did you know Radisson Blu Marina Palace is the only hotel in Turku area to fulfil the requirements of official governmental visits, having everything needed to satisfy top security requirements? And what is good for the presidents and royalty is definitely OK for the business traveller and conference holder, too! Learn more from Nea Vuoti, the Sales Manager for Sokos Hotels and Radisson Blu Hotels in Turku, below.

Who are you?
I am Nea Vuoti, Sales Manager for Sokos Hotels and Radisson Blu Hotels in Turku. I have worked for hospitality industry nearly all my life, among others at Viking Line, Naantali Spa, Holiday Club Spa Hotels and now I work for Turun Osuuskauppa, which operates Sokos Hotels and Radisson Blu Marina Palace Hotel in Turku. I have background also in the import of floorings to Finland and in working at the bank as well. I come from an entrepreneur family. My versatile experience helps me to understand better the hospitality needs of our clients and to find suitable solutions for them.

What is your company specialized in?
Radisson Blu is Europe´s largest upper upscale hotel brand, over 190 hotels in Europe. Radisson Blu Hotels and Sokos Hotels are the most successful hotel chains in Finland, many nominations for solid performance as best hotels in different towns (tripadvisor, World Travel Awards etc). Domestic Sokos Hotels chain offers 3 different hotel sub-brands: Original, Break and Solo for different kind of accommodation, meeting & event needs. Altogether 50 hotels in 30 cities/resorts, of which 3 in St. Petersburg in Russia and 2 in Tallinn in Estonia. Typical for Sokos Hotels is to bring up strongly local and Finnish culture in the hotel design, service and in the restaurants.

Tell us about your clients and other key shareholders and partners?
The core idea of Turun Osuuskauppa is to provide co-op members with competitive services and benefits profitably. There are over 150 000 households of customer owners in the Turku area (66 % of all households). Turun Osuuskauppa paid bonus to customer owners 19,3 M € in 2017.

Our hospitality industry works closely with different corporates, associations, unions and sport clubs, who have accommodation, meeting and event needs. We offer cooperation possibilities with our hotels based on the needs of our clients. Important cooperation partners for us are also travel agencies and other distribution channels concerning accommodation and meeting services. We also offer an excellent corporate customer loyalty program, called S-Card.

In 2017 Turun Osuuskauppa, one of the cooperatives, invested in the area 17,6 M €. We use local and domestic suppliers/producers as much as possible in our services.

What services or products do you offer to other YardMate members?
The whole our network of hotels in Turku or elsewhere in Finland, in Tallinn or in St. Petersburg, is available for the members at YardMate cooperation rates, a 7 % discount off the daily rates. Rates available until the last room available in the hotel. Also online reservations through our web pages at agreed rates possible, bookable 24 h/7d.

I’m glad to help you in planning of a meeting or an event and you are warmly welcome to see the facilities on the spot as well.

To serve you with top quality, we are making big investments here in Turku: as an example, a brand-new Solo Sokos Hotel Turun Seurahuone will be opened 15.2.2019.

What are your expectations for YardMate?
Hope to find good new cooperation and networking possibilities with the member companies and their network.

What are your future needs regarding personnel?
Hospitality industry has a constant shortage of professional staff, especially in the restaurants. See our job openings here: http://rekry.tokkilainen.fi/

And regarding sub-contractors and partners?
Looking forward to be able to offer and develop interesting new solutions for the accommodation, meeting & event needs. Also looking forward to continuing the networking through YardMate events. Would also gladly offer sometimes settings for the YardMate member meeting or event.

Anything else you wish to say to us?
Very glad to be with this YardMate network! Licence to thrill! Travelling is hard job, take care of your team and partners by providing them an option to enjoy and relax!

It was a real pleasure to do the interview, Nea! And though I don’t live so far away, I am seriously considering a night at Radisson Blu. For in their mattresses the same material is being used as in NASA spaceman outfit which ideally adapts according to your weight and body temperature. And I am tempted to test…

Photos by Turun Osuuskauppa and Annika Perho

Kari Härkönen and Yardmate wants the small companies to benefit from the success of the great Meyer Turku. Below the article in Finnish:
https://www.satakunnankansa.fi/satakunta/ei-enaa-yhtaan-risteilijaa-kiinaan-valitysfirman-perustaja-haluaa-saada-pienetkin-yritykset-telakan-imuun-201082815/

This YardMate member offers you services that no company, marine or other, can do without: insurances. Meet Teemu Saarinen from our member Fennia and learn about their wide service palette that helps you secure your business.

Who are you?
I am Teemu Saarinen, Key Account Manager for b-to-b customers at Fennia since 2005.

What does your company do?
Fennia Group provides risk management and insurance services for enterprises, entrepreneurs and private households, as well as flexible client financing solutions.

Tell us about your partners?
As an insurance company we co-operate with all industries.

What services or products do you offer to other YardMate members?
The newest great thing that we offer is in co-operation with Pihlajalinna, a top-class social and healthcare services provider. You get all employee related insurances and employee health care from one phone number, cost effectively!

And we offer credit insurance – because clients cannot always pay their bills! With credit insurance cover we protect you from losses from clients, who go bankrupt or for some other reason cannot pay their debts to you.

What are your expectations for YardMate?
Active networking and besides the business, lots of fun with the old and new contacts!

What are your future needs regarding sub-contractors and partners?
Check this out: https://www.fenniavihi.fi/ydeal/

Anything else you wish to say to us?
Have a nice summer!

After this interview YardMate takes a short summer pause. We wish you a relaxing – and incident-free – summer! And remember, any Fennia b-to-b customer can easily ensure that the necessary insurances and plans for one’s employees are in place; you’ll just call that one phone number and let Fennia serve you.

Photos by Annika Perho