The Association for Finnish Work awarded Jurva-based Hakola Huonekalu Oy with the Design Deed of the Year award today in connection with the Habitare Fair. The company produces furniture and interior decorating products. The criteria for the award are originality, responsibility and design as part of everyday life.
All products from the 50 year-old family business in Ostrobothnia are handmade in Finland. In addition to the employees at its own industrial plant in Jurva, the enterprise also employs many carpenters in the Suupohja region. The company’s products have been accredited both the Key Flag Symbol and the Design from Finland mark.
“Hakola Huonekalu Oy is a traditional firm that has renewed itself boldly in a challenging trade by, for instance, employing young designers. It’s a joy to see that the company is continuing its tradition to design everyday items to suit the Finnish lifestyle in a fresh way,” industry advisor Kari Kallonen from the award jury declares.
“Customer and user orientation is emphasized at both the consumer and the corporate interface. The company also has a transparent production structure. It is the modern way and it has definitely helped the business to succeed despite the challenges in the trade,” Mr Kallonen continues.
“For us, it’s really a fine thing to gather young, gifted Finnish designers together with the carpentry skills of Southern Ostrobothnia, and to be involved in keeping up this tradition in Finland. We want to cooperate with some of Finland’s many talented designers to bring new, interesting products to consumers,” creative director Annaleena Hämäläinen at Hakola Oy says.
“It’s a great honour to receive the Design Deed of the Year award, because we’ve really done a great deal to renew our company. It’s particularly impressive that we’ve been awarded for a design deed, as that’s what we’ve been working for and investing in. It inspires us to continue along the road we’ve chosen,” Hämäläinen adds.
The Design Deed of the Year award was issued for the fifth time. In previous years, the award has been received by Beibamboo Oy (2012), which designs and produces bamboo-fibre baby clothes; VM-Carpet (2013), which makes high-quality, inventive carpets; Droplet Hitech Design Oy (2014), which produces protective wooden “Lastu” covers for mobile devices; and Useful Stuff Oy (2015), which manufactures Drop outdoor swimming pools.
The award jury consists of industry advisor Kari Kallonen, Ornamo’s Chairman of the Board Kristian Keinänen, designers Saana Sipilä and Olli Sallinen, and Association for Finnish Work CEO Tero Lausala.
HAKOLA HUONEKALU OY FACT BOX:
- A company producing furniture and interior decorating products
- Founded in 1993 (furniture has been made in the Hakola family for over 50 years)
- The company’s domicile is Jurva, where the products are produced
- 12 employees
- www.hakola.fi
Additional information:
Johanna Lahti, Brand Manager, Association for Finnish Work, johanna.lahti@suomalainentyo.fi, +358 (0)40 591 6143
Annaleena Hämäläinen, Creative Director, Hakola Oy, annaleena.hamalainen@hakola.fi, +358 (0)50 599 0999
The Association for Finnish Work is a specialist organization whose task is to promote appreciation for Finnish work and further its success. The association manages active brands and online services on behalf of Finnish work. The Association, established in 1912, has over 2,800 corporate and community members. Read more at www.suomalainentyo.fi
The Key Flag is a registered mark of origin that says the product is manufactured or the service produced in Finland, and that it also provides employment in Finland. Key flags have been awarded to over 3,300 products, product families or services. The Design from Finland symbol speaks on behalf of unique Finnish design origins while also emphasizing the significance of non-material Finnish work from the perspective of Finland’s success and employment. Over 340 individual symbols have already been awarded.