An honest and approachable man of the people
Forest machine entrepreneur Einari Vidgren would have celebrated his 80th birthday this year. Ponsse’s founder is remembered as a persistent entrepreneur and an approachable man of the people who treated all Ponsse employees equally, without elevating himself above anyone else. To celebrate his anniversary, we have collected stories and memories of Einari from various years. These memories continue to live on at Ponsse to this very day.
“PEOPLE WERE IMPORTANT TO EINARI”
“While working as a area sales manager in Lapland, I invited guidance counsellors from Northern Finland to visit Ponsse’s factory,” says Sampo Pulju, who currently works in sales training and technical support at Ponsse in Rovaniemi.
“The visitors hoped that Einari would join us for lunch at the factory’s cafeteria. The cafeteria was full of employees at the time. Einari unexpectedly left the queue to talk to people at different tables. One of the guidance counsellors wondered why Einari did that and what he discussed with this handful of employees. ‘Does Einari know them by name?’ the guidance counsellor asked me. I said that he may not know everyone’s name, but everyone at Ponsse is important to Einari. People were important to Einari,” emphasises Pulju.
CLOSING DEALS EVEN DURING A GRAND OPENING
Konehuolto P. Kula, Ponsse’s contractual service partner in Pöytyä, Finland, opened its new facilities in spring 2003.
“Einari participated to declare the new building open for business. Einari admired it, saying that not even Ponsse has such a grand building. He must have added some colour to his words,” laughs Petri Kula, owner of Konehuolto P.Kula.
Kula remembers that Einari was sitting in the office upstairs closing a machine deal during the opening.
“He gave a few speeches during the day, also mentioning that he had just completed a deal for two machines, a PONSSE Ergo and a Wisent, with Pekka and Kalle Ali-Raatikainen from Pöytyä,” Kula recalls.
“SOMETHING NEW EVERY DAY”
“I started in the assembly department in 1987 after I completed my military service. I only worked there for three months before transferring to another department. Einari called me and asked if I’d have time to take a look at the wiring of a machine being repaired. When I went there, I doubted my skills at first, but we got the machine running.
The following Monday when I went to my usual place in the assembly line, they told me to go to the maintenance unit. It’s hard to say whether I was promoted or demoted, but I guess Einari considered my work a success by relocating me,” notes Juha Reis, who currently works as a service engineer.
PART OF THE TEAM FROM DAY ONE
Area spare parts manager Janne Lavonen had his first day at Ponsse in spring 2006.
“I was familiarising myself with the work of a spare parts salesperson in Iisalmi, Finland, but otherwise I worked at Ponsse’s service centre in Kouvola, Finland.
Einari came to the spare parts shop around the time we were having our first coffee in the morning and said ‘good morning’ to everyone. After I responded to his greeting, he said: ‘Look at that, we have a new guy in our team!’ Einari talked to me like he’d known me for ages and welcomed me to the company.
Finally, he said something I will never forget: ‘Do your job well, son, and stay here until you retire.’ I’ve felt part of the team from day one, and I’ve been given the strength to work for our customers and my colleagues.”
AN UNFORGETTABLE DAY
“It was 2008 or 2009 when one day Einari asked people at the factory to gather in the backyard. Einari had a helicopter that day and wanted to give everyone interested a ride over Vieremä. It was an unforgettable day for many!” notes Sari Kiiskinen, who currently works as an HR manager at Ponsse.
“Einari’s genuine will to take care of the personnel’s wellbeing and provide a good employee experience is still being fostered at Ponsse today,” adds Kiiskinen.
GIVING EVERYONE A BOOST EVERY MORNING
“In 1982, I worked in spare parts sales and the Vieremä factory’s collection unit. My day started at seven in the morning.
When Einari started his day at the factory, he came to greet Ponsse’s spare parts salespeople almost every morning, often wishing us a good morning in his booming voice. He also may have banged his fist against the counter, in a positive spirit of course! It was a great way to start the day,” shares Matti Tenhunen, who currently works as a product group manager and who remembers that Einari gave everyone a boost every morning.
FROM THE LOGGING SITE TO A SMOKE SAUNA
“The new machine models of the 2000s had been launched the previous year, although we office ladies didn’t see any machines very often at the time. We talked about this with Einari, who took our message to heart and right away organised a day at the logging site.
We left the office around noon. At the logging site, we cooked sausages over an open fire, and everyone interested was able to ride in forest machines to see them in action.
After the nice afternoon in the forest, we headed to the Ponsse Club, where a magnificent smoke sauna had just been built. Like Einari said, ‘the ladies have to test it’, and that’s what we did!” reminisces Tiina Nissinen, who currently works as a financial manager at Ponsse.
“MACHINES WERE REPAIRED IN THE FOREST AT THE SPOT WHERE THEY HAD BROKEN DOWN”
One evening in 1987, Seppo Karvonen received a call: Ponsse’s repair shop had a vacancy. That was how Karvonen’s career at Ponsse began.
“The next thing you know, we just started doing this and that at the repair shop. Einari came by every morning at 7 am and often said that ‘It’s almost finished!’, even though it would still need a moment or two,” Karvonen remembers. These days, Karvonen refurbishes Ponsse’s Reman Parts.
“MAKE IT SO THAT IT’S GOOD!”
“Ponsse lets its employees take responsibility for their work, and it also feels good that I’ve been able to enjoy the trust of my managers and colleagues, starting from Einari. Just like Einari used to say: ‘Make it so that it’s good!’” reminisces Jorma Hyvönen, who works in research and development at Ponsse. Hyvönen originally came to Ponsse as a summer employee in 1985.