Business director Kalle Kemppainen joined Hoivarakentajat in 2012 with only three employees. Kalle was the first to have a degree in construction.
– Initially, we built 1–2 care homes a year. We thought we could manage with a small team, but the customers liked what we did and kept ordering more. So our organisation grew quite quickly and became more professional.
Kalle Kemppainen takes care of resources and a reasonable workload in his current role.
– With a long history and a wide range of tasks, I'm pretty deep in our organisation and activities. Fortunately, we have such good people in place that I don't have to get involved in the details of projects. My role is to support and help our project management professionals from behind the scenes to succeed.
One outcome that has come with growth has been Hoivarakentajat's proprietary project model.
– This model aims to ensure the same customer experience regardless of who leads the project. This requires established ways of doing things, but on the other hand, the model also needs to allow enough space and freedom to do things your way. We have picked up good practices we have identified along the way and are constantly developing them further. We have an ISO 9001-compliant ERP system in place.
For early childhood education and nursing home clients, listening and taking into account their wishes is paramount.
– We have been praised for our attentive ears. We listen but are guided by our professionalism.
On the other hand, the investor-client can be confident that the project will be completed on time and budget.
– For example, we don't count on charging for additional work, those are usually just some small things that the client wants. The finished site is safe for the investor, built to a high standard with no hidden surprises waiting for the warranty period to expire. Of course, our sites also do have minor repair needs during the warranty period, but we are straightforward about them.
When a project is delivered on time, the client is satisfied and the budget is met, the whole team at Hoivarakentajat can have a pat on their back for a job well done.
Kalle Kemppainen's relationship with wood is – perhaps due to his background in civil engineering – rather technical.
– It is a responsible, single-material construction material. Logs have an excellent ability to balance moisture and keep the indoor air comfortable even in dry and frosty weather. And if a log building does get wet during construction, it will dry fast when the heating is turned on or the weather dries out.
And what is the message of an experienced builder to a growth-seeking care business?
– Social welfare and healthcare companies may not have the experience and organisation needed for project development. So choose a partner for your growth. And here you have a good one, Kalle laughs.