– I vaguely remember going to Sörnäinen with my mum, Maret Puhk. And that Grandfather Jüri Puhk wanted to build a new mill. I was 10 years old when the opening of the new mill was celebrated in Järvenpää. There was a marquee, a band was playing, and my younger brothers and I were running about in the garden amidst a sea of corduroy trousers,” recalls Niklas, thinking back to the summer of 1992.

My grandfather’s investment decision in the early 1990s has played a major in shaping the family business. Once completed, the most modern mill in the Nordic countries paved the way for the company’s growth and development. In 2025, Helsinki Mills’ turnover was 55.4 million euros, of which exports accounted for around 30 per cent. Helsinki Mills currently employs around 100 professionals in Järvenpää, Närpiö and Vaasa.

Learning about production, quality control, marketing, and exports one at a time

Like his eldest daughter, Niklas got a taste of the family business whilst at upper level of comprehensive school, through an Introduction to working life (TET) internship. These were followed by summer jobs at the mill in the following years. However, my career path didn’t lead me straight to a permanent job in Järvenpää.

– At first, I wanted to be an archaeologist, an adventurer, or a nature photographer; then a biologist. However, the fact that the family owns a mill has always remained at back of his mind.

Niklas was studying developmental physiology, cell and molecular biology, and biochemistry in Viikki when he was drawn into the world of diagnostic test product development and start-ups.

– Around the same time as I was finishing my master’s thesis and a major project, we had a family dinner with my brothers and mum in 2009. When my mum said that the mill needed an owner’s personal involvement, I put my hand up. I said that I wanted to understand how the company operates. It is important to understand the business you, as an owner, will inevitably have to make decisions on. I said I was interested in a career with the family business, but that I would make a decision later. 

For a recent graduate from Lauttasaari, the switch from the modern working environment of Meilahti to a flour-dusted mill in Järvenpää was quite a change, even though he was already familiar with the Mills’ staff from his summer jobs. 

– I started out as a production trainee. I then moved on to the laboratory and quality control, which was a little more closely related to my biology studies. 

– Standing in for the Quality Manager whilst she was on maternity leave was a real opportunity to gain an insight into the role. Through training and on-the-job learning, I developed an understanding of how quality is linked to everything the company does: from products to processes, and from the customer experience to management. I was able to comprehensively assess and improve the quality of our company.

After the marketing team, it was the turn of the export sales team.

– I enjoy travelling and meeting people; I’m outgoing and have a knack for languages, so export sales were a good fit for me. From the company’s point of view, this was also an excellent opportunity to familiarise itself with the international market: to see where the potential lies and to consider which direction to take.

“First and foremost, I am a father to my daughters”

In February 2017, Niklas was in Germany, at the BIOFACH organic trade fair in Nuremberg, when an email popped up on his phone. The managing director at the time had resigned from the Mills. Following an extraordinary board meeting held that same day, Maret rang to say that the board, particularly its non-family members, was proposing Niklas as the next CEO. 

– My knees went weak and I felt a lump in my throat right there in the middle of the exhibition hall. When Maret asked if I was available, I managed to reply: WOW! Of course I am. I was really touched, but at the same time I realised I wasn’t ready. Of course, I had thought that it might happen at some point, but it turned out to be surprisingly soon.

I had three months to prepare. Alongside the Managing Director and Approved Board Member training programmes, Niklas received support not only from his family, but also from his mentor and the management team.

– I took over as CEO on 1 June 2017. At the first management team meeting, I said that acknowledging the facts is the first step towards wisdom: I am younger and less experienced than you, I am just myself, and I am not going to play any particular role. I said that we need complete trust and teamwork. 

– I was also unsure about how we’d manage our family life, given that the job is 24/7. First and foremost, I am a father to my three daughters. I’ve decided to give the Mills my all for 8–9 hours on weekdays. I want there to be more to life than just work. I’d say I’ve managed to strike a balance; I’ve done reasonably well. 

With nine years’ experience, Niklas says that serving as CEO is an honour for him.

– It’s great to earn the trust placed on me and to lead the family business forward. I feel that leading the Mills is an important task, both ethically and morally. We produce healthy food in a smart way, and we’re always striving to do things better and better. It’s inspiring, Niklas sums up.

Looking forward with confidence to our centenary celebrations

Niklas emphasises that even before 2017, the family-run business had made numerous sound decisions and carried out a great deal of good work, ensuring that the owners’ wishes and the employees’ interests were aligned. 

– I might be relatively satisfied now, but I need to stay alert every day. If you know your history, you know that the patterns of development are similar. Turbulence and uncertainty are going to continue, whilst the importance of food production is becoming increasingly apparent. As climate change alters growing conditions in the south, the role of northern latitudes is becoming even more important, Niklas reflects. 

– Nobody here has a crystal ball, but I’m confident that both demand and supply will grow. Food will continue to be produced on the fields; it’s just that sustainability and responsibility must be demonstrated. Discerning consumers favour domestically produced goods. Finland’s self-sufficiency and security of supply are the very last things we’d compromise on here, says Niklas.

Niklas thinks that the strengths of  Helsinki Mills are its speed and agility, as well as its high-quality, healthy, and value-added cereal grain-based products, which are processed to a higher degree than before. There are many reasons for feeling joy and a sense of success within our value chain. 

– All business is based on people. Trust, relationships, and friendship play a key role. 

– One of the most important indicators is staff satisfaction. Research shows that we have a can-do atmosphere, a brilliant team spirit and the ability to work together, says Niklas happily. 

– I am also proud of our dedicated contract farmers, who want to be involved and work together to do the right thing. We want to offer our key partners opportunities to specialise, so that they can feel confident about managing and developing their farms.

“Running a family business isn’t a sprint, it’s a marathon”

According to the study entitled Anatomy of family firms in Finland (2/2026) conducted by Aalto University, family businesses are, by many measures, the most stable and long-term group of owners in the economy. Family businesses are major employers in the private sector and invest more than other companies. Family businesses with more than 50 employees are growing and expanding internationally at a faster rate than other companies of a similar size.

Over the course of three decades, Helsinki Mills has more than doubled its workforce. Niklas wishes to emphasise the vital role that family businesses play as employers. 

– Running a family business isn’t a sprint, it’s a marathon. Family businesses that operate with a long-term perspective demonstrate resilience even in difficult times. Staff cuts won’t be the first thing on the owners’ minds if managers’ bonuses are at risk. There are other values besides what ends up on the bottom line.

Of course, Helsinki Mills also has profit targets, but according to Niklas, experience, vision, and strong trust play an equally important role – and he is prepared to put his own reputation on the line for the sake of these values. The company has also been prepared to invest in, for example, factory and warehouse extensions, as well as a new packaging line. 

– A family business is not a gift from past generations, but a loan from future ones. The responsibility weighs heavy on your shoulders, and we must do our jobs well so that we can leave the company in better shape for future generations, Niklas sums up.

Dad makes smoothies in the morning; the daughters bake in the evenings

What sort of man, father, owner, and CEO are you, Niklas? 

– I’m curious; I’m interested in almost everything. I look for information and try to understand things. I’m quick – and a bit impatient, too. I feel that honesty and openness are the only right way to act. And a CEO is allowed to show that he is human and vulnerable, Niklas muses.

Niklas, who is eager to learn and draws inspiration from nature, spends his free time enjoying fast-paced hobbies ranging from snowboarding to motorcycling and tennis. The family dog takes them for walks, and life at the holiday cottage offers a soothing contrast to the hustle and bustle of the capital.

– I enjoy cooking and I’m quite a good home cook, but I’ve left the baking to my daughters, who are 7, 10 and 15 years old. I get to sample things like mocha cakes and biscuits many an evening, says Niklas.

However, my mornings almost always start with a homemade smoothie.

–  Myllärin Organic Fibre-Rich Oatmeal, which contains wheat bran, is served with natural yoghurt, banana, blueberries and lingonberries, whey protein and apple juice, Niklas reveals in his recipe.