Einari Vidgrén Foundation recognises forestry professionals for the 10th time
10th anniversary of the Einari Vidgrén Foundation
Einari Vidgrén Foundation recognises forestry professionals for the 10th time
The foundation maintaining the life’s work of Einari Vidgrén recognised forestry professionals for the tenth time. At the event organised in Vieremä on Tuesday, 26 May 2015, awards amounted to EUR 87,500.
Industrial Counsellor Einari Vidgrén, the founder of Ponsse Plc, established the Einari Vidgrén Foundation in 2005 with the aim of increasing appreciation for the work performed within the field of mechanised wood harvesting. The purpose of the Foundation is to heighten awareness of the entrepreneurship related to wood harvesting and to make the mechanised harvesting sector more interesting as a potential workplace, especially among young people.
In the ten years since the foundation was first established, awards totalling EUR 877,000 have been granted to some 240 harvesting and forestry specialists and 200 students. In addition to Finnish recipients, awards have been granted to people from Russia, Sweden, Poland, Estonia and the United States.
Einari Awards
As the main recognition, the Foundation gave the Einari Award to two distinguished forest machine contractors. The criteria of the award emphasise a long-term approach and professionalism in this highly challenging industry. The Einari Award of EUR 15,000 was received by Veljekset Knuutinen Oy from Pattijoki and Toropainen Oy Metsäkoneurakointi from Kitee.
Oiva and Veli Knuutinen, two brothers from Pattijoki, founded their wood harvesting company Veljekset Knuutinen Oy in 1973. The main responsibility for the company's operations has since been handed over to Veli's sons Marko and Jarmo. The company operates in partnership with Forest Logistic and has been recognized by UPM as the harvesting operator of the year in Ostrobothnia in 2014. Employee turnover has been low at Veljekset Knuutinen Oy. During the winter months, the company employs up to 15 harvesting professionals. The company firmly believes in the future of Finnish harvesting business, accelerated by new investments in the use of timber.
Pertti Toropainen, a farmer from Kitee, began work in timber hauling in the final years of the 1960s. Today, the work of Toropainen Oy Metsäkoneurakointi continues in the third generation of the family. Pertti's son Harri first continued Pertti's work as the entrepreneur, and Harri's son Timo is now taking responsibility for daily operations. Toropainen Oy Metsäkoneurakointi is involved in Tähtimetsä Oy, a partnership of five companies operating in Central Karelia. The operations of the Toropainen family business have always focused on its core competence, wood harvesting. The company also considers it important that the machinery is continuously upgraded, and that the harvester operators have a say on which machines are chosen.
Einari Recognitions
The Foundation gave Einari Recognitions to research and development organisations active in the field of mechanised wood harvesting, developers of training in the sector and parties that promote awareness of the sector and increase its appreciation.
An Einari Recognition of EUR 4,000 was received by the Maaseutuammattiin ry association. The goal of the association is to network North Savo region's forestry and agriculture enterprises, associations, schools and other actors to carry out joint efforts. This is done in order to provide the students and teachers of comprehensive schools with better opportunities for getting to know forestry and agriculture professions.
An Einari Recognition of EUR 4,000 was received by economics editor Jyrki Iivonen for his more than three decades of work as a skilled and critical reviewer of the Finnish forestry sector.
Two Einari Recognitions of EUR 3,000 each were received by forest machine sector teachers for their merits in instructing young people and adults and motivating them to study forestry, as well as for their active and motivated cooperation with the forest machine entrepreneurs in their regions. The Recognitions were received by Immo Heikkinen from the Lapland Vocational College, Rovaniemi, and Hannu Mäkinen from the Jämsä College.
A Recognition of EUR 3,500 was received by the Metsä rokkaa event organised by the forestry society of South Savo. The event has made a significant contribution to increasing awareness of the forestry business among young people, and made an effort to find new professionals to the sector.
An Einari Recognition of EUR 3,000 was granted to Finlandia University, Michigan, the USA, as a scholarship for the school's work in promoting cut-to-length harvesting.
An Einari Recognition of EUR 2,000 was received by the East School of Vieremä for increased efforts in improving the children's forest knowledge. The small school of 40 children has developed activities together with the parents to create an exceptionally diverse, genuinely cross-disciplinary programme that extends the learning environment outside the classroom and the school.
Einari Operator's Awards and Einari Scholarships
The Einari Vidgrén Foundation also gave Einari Operator's Awards, EUR 1,000 each, to 28 distinguished forest machine operators. Forest companies and sawmills nominated the forest machine operators to be rewarded. The award criteria included the quality of work and good attitude as well as cooperation and communication with forest owners and other stakeholders.
The Einari Operator's Awards were received by:
Juha Alaoja, Rovaniemi
Juha Haverinen, Kesälahti
Petri Hyvärinen, Leppävirta
Mikko Hyytiä, Kangasniemi
Ari Koivisto, Teuva
Marko Koivukangas, Ranua
Petri Kontkanen, Kontiolahti
Juha Lönnroth, Riihimäki
Marko Lönnroth, Riihimäki
Paavo Mourujärvi, Mourujärvi
Jani Mustonen, Nurmes
Ossi Mörsky, Isokyrö
Timo Paatelainen, Kotvala
Kari Pennanen, Kitee
Anne Räihä, Pattijoki
Anna-Kaisa Tolvanen, Nurmes
Hannu Viiltola, Oulainen
In addition, three Russian forest machine operators were rewarded. They will receive their awards at the 10th anniversary event of Ponsse's Russian subsidiary OOO Ponsse:
Aleksandr Suvorov, Russia
Dmitri Lovtsov, Russia
Vadim Heistonen, Russia
The Einari Vidgrén Foundation also granted student scholarships of EUR 500 to 26 mechanised harvesting students. The scholarships were decided on by the teaching staff of each college. In addition to success in studies, the criteria included the fact that the student has a job as a forest machine operator or serviceman when leaving school.
The Einari Scholarships were received by:
Oulu Vocational College, Taivalkoski unit: Vilho Pöllänen, Tomi Ronkainen
Oulu Vocational College, Muhos unit: Henri Paananen
Tampere Vocational College Tredu, Kuru: Jermu Haukijärvi, Mikko Laukkanen
WinNova Länsirannikon Koulutus Oy Ltd, Kullaa: Niko Reunanen, Jani Taalikka
South Savo Vocational College, Salosaari, Mikkeli: Matias Partio, Antti Räisänen
YA! Vocational College of Ostrobothnia, Vaasa: Oliver Karlsson, Oskar Pettersson
Lapland Vocational College, Rovaniemi: Rasmus Jänkälä, Markus Ruokamo
Jämsä College, Jämsä: Saku Tuhkalainen, Tuomas Hirvelä
Savo Vocational College, Toivala: Artturi Tuppurainen, Jimi Nurminen
TTS, Productivity and Natural Resources, Rajamäki: Riku Lehto, Joonas Mäkelä
South Savo Vocational College, Pieksämäki forest education, Pieksämäki: Ville Kemppi, Eetu Kauhanen
North Karelia College, Valtimo: Henri Suhonen, Miro Kvick
Häme Vocational Institute, Evo, Hämeenlinna: Jarkko Härkälä
Saimaa Vocational College Sampo, Ruokolahti: Veikka Vesikko
The Vocational Education Institute of Northern Central Finland, Tarvaala: Teemu Virnes
Photos of the award winners and from the awards:
http://www.ponsse.com/fi/media-arkisto/kuvat/events/2014/einari-vidgren-foundation-22-may-2014
Vieremä, 26 May 2015
EINARI VIDGRÉN FOUNDATION
Juha Vidgrén
Chairman of the Einari Vidgrén Foundation
Further information:
Juha Vidgrén, tel. +358 40 518 6286
www.evsaatio.fi
