Minna coordinates oats from Vaasa to the world

The Mäenpää family lives about a kilometre from the Vaasa mill: Minna, her husband, and 7-year-old son together with Mini Lops Töpö and Täplä.

– I am a native of Vaasa. I went to school here and have always lived in Vaasa, says Minna.

Minna, who both passed the mathriculation exam and graduated from business collage, continued her studies at a University of Applied Sciences.

– I started at ABB Muuntaja as a summer worker at the age of 15. I worked there in sales and marketing during my university years, and I wrote my thesis for them. After my traineeship, a summer job gave me a taste of exporting with the title of Export Forwarder.

Soon after graduating as a Bachelor of Business Administration, the transformers were replaced by electrical harnesses and fibre optic cables. Minna was happy to work at Crimp for almost 9 years.

– I had worked in the technology industry since I was 23. I wondered what was on the other side of the fence. I wanted new challenges, admits Minna.

Helsinki Mills came across my career path when a position opened up in Vaasa at domestic sales. At this point, no agreement had been reached, but soon after, contact was made and I was offered a position at exports. After the interview, both parties were excited. 

– What I knew of Helsinki Mills was what I had bought, cooked, and eaten. I knew some of the products, but not so much the company. But that's when the wide range began to open. 

– It's great to see how things are constantly being developed in a family business and how your own to do list always has new things you need to learn. It's definitely not just order processing," Minna says, adding that with the reorganisation in 2024, domestic sales also became a part of her current job description.

"All strings must be kept in safe hands"

When Minna started at Helsinki Mills in 2022, the export team included Export Director Lhassan El Farkoussi and Export Sales’ Filip Kumlin. Around the same time, Minna found another export coordinator, Jenni Hakala, to work with her at the Vaasa office.

The duo, who joined the supply chain team in 2024, now work alongside six other colleagues: Chief Financial Officer Jukka Kervinen, sales coordinators Anne Kientz and Anna Pettinen from Järvenpää, and supply chain coordinator Mari Setälä from Vaasa.

– Although domestic sales and exports have the same product base, they are two completely different worlds. For example, ordering cycles and delivery volumes differ significantly. In Finland, a single pallet may be delivered to a customer the very next day, whereas when it comes to exports, a container load of products may be ordered months in advance. For example, I currently have one delivery scheduled to Germany in eight months' time," says Minna.

– Products for export are transported either by lorry or by sea. Depending on the size, a sea container can hold about 20 pallets and a fully loaded truck about 30, says Minna. 

We have recently gained a lot of new customers. It's nice to meet new people and companies and to be involved in building customer relationships.

It is the variety and diversity of the work that is important to Minna.

– The days are busy: busy, busy, emails keep coming in and shipments going out. "All strings must be kept in safe hands" I don't just sit at my computer; I solve problems and use my skills.

Learning and developing together, Minna and Jenni, the Vaasa coordinator pair who have joined Helsinki Mills, go through the following week in detail every Thursday. The answers to the what, where, when, and how questions will influence the schedules, contacts, and documents for the coming days. 

– When gluten-free oats are being shipped from Vaasa to the world, you should allow 1-3 days for gluten analysis, depending on the amount of cargo. 

When the journey is long, you also must consider temperatures and possible pests. If the destination is Japan, the outbound cargo is fumigated to control pests before the 12-week sea voyage. Fumigation uses a substance that does not penetrate the packaging and thus does not reach the products. The quality of organic products is maintained during transport using dry ice, which keeps the products at the right temperature until they reach their destination, Minna says, naming some examples.  

For deliveries outside the EU, certificates, attestations, and documents are required from the Chamber of Commerce, the Finnish Food Authority and Customs. Schedules are agreed with familiar freight forwarders for both truck transport to Europe and sea containers leaving Rauma for destinations outside the EU. Customers are kept closely informed throughout the delivery process.

– We build a puzzle every day. This job requires problem-solving and customer service skills. You have to learn new things quickly and stay on top of the situation. I like it when there are enough challenges and I get to use my strengths," says Minna.

”The best thing about this job is the people you work with"

Finnish oats enjoy a good reputation around the world, which is boosting business at Helsinki Mills’ Vaasa office.

– We have recently gained a lot of new customers. It's nice to get to know customers and be involved in building customer relationships. I enjoy meeting new people and companies. The best thing about my job is definitely the people you work with, Minna says.

As a former scout, Minna has always respected the environment. Working at Helsinki Mills has further broadened Minna's view of sustainability.

– It's great to see a traditional Finnish family business and modern Finnish farmers working with a long-term perspective. Here, employees also have the opportunity for development and training. I appreciate that.
Minna also feels that it is important to get feedback on the work she has done to experience a sense of achievement.  
– The positive feedback we receive from customers is truly gratifying. It's nice to hear the quality of the products being praised. And to feel that Finns and Finnish oats are appreciated.

Feedback is not just polite phrases in an email.

– This autumn as well, Dutch and Spanish customers, among others, have wanted to travel here to Ostrobothnia. Standing at the edge of our contract farmers' fields, they have been impressed by how things are done in Finland and how advanced farming is here. After all, the Spanish grow their own oats, but they still want to buy them from us. They say that Finnish grain is the best in the world.

A Christmas person who loves dancing and baking

The energetic and active Minna admits that at this stage in their lives, the Mäenpää family does not have time to lounge around on the sofa at home. The football and floorball activities of their son, who has just started school, also take the parents on training and playing trips. As a family, we cycle, ski, ride scooters, meet friends, and actively participate in various events. 

– During my son's training sessions, I jog. I also go to the gym and group exercise classes. Due to my dance background, I especially enjoy the dance classes.

Minna also whips up mocha squares, familiar to many from junior sports cafés, in no time at all.

– I especially love baking sweet treats. I see it as a sign of love when I bake the favourite treats of my spouse and son. I like to host and organise parties," says Minna, who love to make cheesecakes, carrot cakes, mud cakes, and many other sweet treats. 

So, the shoemaker’s children do not go barefoot. And what are your favourite products from the Myllärin range?

– My husband and son think the best rolls are made with Myllärin Organic Multigrain Bun Flour. When it comes to our new products, Wheat Flour 2.0 and Seed-Ginger Granola are particularly to my liking.  

– Over the last couple of years, new cereal grains products such as muesli and cereal have been added to our diet. Organic has been emphasised in our own choices; domestic origin has long been the number one criterion. I look carefully at the ingredients and choose food that is as clean as possible. Sustainability is important to me: first I think about the need, then about where and how the product is made. I don't make impulse purchases, and I don't buy according to trends. For example, I feel good when I find something useful second-hand," says Minna, describing herself as a consumer.

Minna admits that the end of October is a slightly challenging time for her every year.