First section of Tokmanni’s new logistics centre now in operation – Centralizing Tokmanni’s logistics operations in Mäntsälä will modernise and streamline its logistics and supply chain
Tokmanni Press release 21 April 2023 at 4:30 p.m.
The new logistics centre currently under construction in Mäntsälä is a very significant investment for Tokmanni. It will help the company to modernise and streamline its logistics and supply chain.
Lots of orange shelves. Long corridors. Dozens of Tokmanni employees and loads of lorries – including the familiar red Tokmanni lorries – are coming and going. The first section of Tokmanni’s new logistics centre has now been handed over by the contractor. The new centre, next door to Tokmanni’s existing administration and logistics centre in Mäntsälä, has been under construction since last spring. This is Tokmanni’s largest ever investment. Centralising Tokmanni’s logistics operations will modernise and streamline its logistics and supply chain. The new building has been named Moreeni after its location on Moreenikuja street.
The first thing that strikes you about Moreeni is its scale. Tokmanni already has around 25,000 square metres of gross floor area, which is about three and a half football pitches or about the size of Parliament House, the main building of the Finnish Parliament in Helsinki. When the section that is still under construction is completed, the building’s 55,000 square metres of gross floor space will be able to accommodate almost three Parliament Houses or about eight football pitches.
When it is fully completed, the new logistics centre will increase the gross floor space of Tokmanni’s administration and logistics operations to around 130,000 square metres. That is equivalent to almost seven Parliament Houses or around 18 football pitches. Or as many as around 82 NHL hockey rinks.
“And when there is space, people will want to use it,” says Timo Heimo, Vice President, Sales and Supply Chain at Tokmanni.
“To begin with, Moreeni will serve as a buffer for the adjacent administration and logistics centre, completed in 2008, from where products will be delivered to our stores. Logistical operations at the new logistics centre started on Monday 17 April, and the goods arriving right now include both what is known as the core assortment and products for the spring and summer seasons, such as garden furniture, lawnmowers and swimming pools.
From August, Moreeni will also be receiving products related to the Christmas season, such as seasonal lights, toys and Christmas decorations,” Heimo says.
Centralising logistics operations in Mäntsälä is cost-effective, as it minimises and will eventually eliminate Tokmanni’s need to rent warehouses.
“Centralising operations in Mäntsälä will significantly improve the efficiency of Tokmanni’s supply chain. We will be able to reduce transfers between warehouses and optimise transport. At the same time, the new logistics centre will meet the needs of Tokmanni’s business growth, such as the increasing number of stores and expanding assortment,” says Heimo.
Mäntsälä is an ideal location for Tokmanni, especially because of its central location. Cooperation with the municipality of Mäntsälä, is also very smooth and easy. Logistics operations at Tokmanni’s new logistics centre started on 17 April. The shelves are currently being stocked with products for the spring and summer seasons, for example.
Praise for Mäntsälä
The location of the new logistics centre right next to Tokmanni’s administration and logistics centre in Mäntsälä, completed in 2008, is convenient for everyday operations. Employees can move between different workstations, depending on the type of work, for example.
“Mäntsälä is an excellent location for Tokmanni otherwise, too,” says Heimo.
“We have been very happy with Mäntsälä. The municipality is logistically very well located in relation to our nationwide store network, highway 4 and the Vuosaari Harbour. The Helsinki metropolitan area is also close enough for commuting, as are Lahti, Järvenpää, Porvoo, Hyvinkää and Riihimäki.”
“What is more, our cooperation with the municipality of Mäntsälä has been smooth. The municipality played an important role in finding a suitable site for our logistics operations, for example, and with permits and planning.”
Loads of lorries – including the familiar red Tokmanni lorries – are coming and going in the area of Tokmanni’s new logistics centre in Mäntsälä.
The construction of the Moreeni logistics centre has progressed faster than planned
The environmental impact during the construction and operation of Tokmanni’s new logistics centre is very important. For example, the design and construction work complies the “Very Good” rating level of the BREEAM environmental certification criteria.
“In the design and construction of Moreeni, a lot of attention has been paid to smart and cost and environmentally efficient solutions. Similar to our other locations, we only use zero-emission electricity at our new logistics centre. We will also install some 4,000 solar panels on the roof of the new building to generate renewable energy,” says Harri Koponen, Vice President, Store Network and Concept at Tokmanni. Koponen is also the person responsible for the construction of the Moreeni logistics centre for Tokmanni.
For heating, Moreeni uses modern hybrid technology combining district heating and air-to-water heat pumps. Koponen estimates that the air-to-water heat pumps cover about 70 percent of the building’s annual heating demand.
The new logistics centre is Tokmanni’s largest single investment ever, with a total value of around EUR 65 million. The investment will be recognised over 2022–2023.
The construction work is progressing at a very fast pace.
“We are now some six months ahead of our original schedule. Thanks are due to everyone at Tokmanni who is involved in the Moreeni project and to our wonderful partners. Jouni Saarinen is an architect SAFA at A1 Architects and the principal designer of Moreeni. The project management contractor is Fira Oy, which has done an excellent job. If the current pace of construction continues, we expect to have the section of the building that is still under construction ready and in use as early as November, about six months ahead of schedule,” Koponen says.
“In addition to the speed of construction, costs have been kept under control despite the current challenging operating environment.”
When the new logistics centre is fully completed, Tokmanni will sell it to NREP, a real estate investment and development company, which will become Tokmanni’s landlord under a long-term lease.
Construction work on Tokmanni’s new logistics centre has progressed rapidly, about six months ahead of the original schedule. The first section of the building is already in use, and the entire project is expected to be completed in November this year.
Comfortable premises and modern tools
Tokmanni’s logistics operations place value on pleasant working conditions and efficient, fit-for-purpose tools. Moreeni not only has pristine and comfortable workspaces, but also brand-new and modern shelving solutions and electric forklifts supplied by Toyota.
“It is in the interests of both everyone at Tokmanni and our partners that everything runs smoothly and cost-effectively. We are particularly pleased with the guidance system for trucks arriving at Moreeni. With the system we can direct drivers to the correct door and they don’t have to stop and ask for directions,” says Heimo.
Tokmanni is increasing the appeal of its new building with a modern staff restaurant equipped with large windows and an adjacent outdoor terrace at a height of around ten metres. Like the other facilities still under construction, they will be completed by the end of the year.
Tokmanni’s logistics operations place value on pleasant working conditions and efficient, fit-for-purpose tools. “It is in the interests of both everyone at Tokmanni and our partners that everything runs smoothly and cost-effectively,” says Timo Heimo, Vice President, Sales and Supply Chain at Tokmanni.
A well-known employer throughout Finland
Once Moreeni is completed, Tokmanni’s administration and logistics centre in Mäntsälä will employ from 400 to 500 logistics workers, depending on the season, an increase of around 100 people from the current number. Even now, dozens of employees are hard at work at Moreeni.
The advertising films on Mr Tokmanni’s adventures from recent years are the main reason why more and more people associate Mäntsälä with Tokmanni, says Joanna Tuhkanen, a HR specialist working on recruitment for the variety discount retailer.
“In terms of jobs, Tokmanni is often seen as a provider of store jobs in particular, but in reality, we offer a wide range of jobs for people with different skills. In Mäntsälä, for example, we currently employ around 600 people. They include professionals in areas such as logistics, sourcing, finance, marketing and IT,” says Tuhkanen.
Tokmanni is a well-known employer throughout Finland. The number of employees has increased by around 1,100 in about five years due to the expanding store network, among other things. At the end of 2022, Tokmanni had 4,241 employees.
Tuhkanen points out that warehouse work is suitable for all situations in life, for example. Employees in Tokmanni’s logistics operations include students, people taking a gap year from their studies, fresh and experienced warehouse workers and career changers alike.
“We offer both permanent and temporary jobs, and our warehouse contracts are generally full-time. However, as a flexible employer, we also offer part-time work for those who want to work while studying, for example. We have a diverse work community and more than 15 languages are spoken in our warehouse,” says Tuhkanen.
As an employer, Tokmanni generates a lot of interest, and young people in particular are keen to apply to work for Tokmanni.
“The interest in Tokmanni is also reflected in our advertisements for summer jobs and summer internships. This spring, they have once again been one of the most viewed ads on Oikotie, our job advertising partner. This year we will again be employing more than a thousand summer workers and underage summer interns in total,” Tuhkanen says.
Tuhkanen believes that this popularity is due not only to Tokmanni’s extensive store network, but also to the fact that Tokmanni’s employees provide genuinely good orientation and on-the-job guidance and give young people plenty of opportunities to learn important lessons about working life.
“In addition, many of our jobseekers already have plenty of experience of Tokmanni as customers, which makes us a familiar and approachable company,” she says.
Tokmanni is a very well-known employer in Finland. For example, in Mäntsälä, there are some 600 people working to achieve Tokmanni’s success.
TOKMANNI
For further information, please contact:
Harri Koponen
Vice President, Store Network and Concept
Tel. +358 20 728 6030
harri.koponen(at)tokmanni.fi
Timo Heimo
Vice President, Sales and Supply Chain
Tel. +358 20 728 6051
timo.heimo(at)tokmanni.fi
Maarit Mikkonen
Head of IR and Communications
Tel. +358 40 562 2282
maarit.mikkonen(at)tokmanni.fi
Calls to a corporate number beginning with +358 20 7 from a landline or a mobile phone are EUR 0.0835 per minute + EUR 0.1669 per minute (incl. VAT 24%). Calls from outside Finland are subject to an international call charge.
Tokmanni is Finland’s leading variety discount retailer. Around 4,300 Tokmanni employees make customers’ everyday life and special occasions easier by offering a versatile and up-to-date assortment of Finnish and international brand-name products and other high-quality products at prices that are always affordable. With online stores and more than 200 Tokmanni, Miny, Click Shoes and Shoe House stores, Tokmanni is always close to its customers. In 2022, Tokmanni’s revenue was EUR 1,168 million and comparable EBIT amounted to EUR 86 million. Tokmanni's shares are listed on Nasdaq Helsinki.
