Einari Vidgrén Foundation rewarded forestry professionals 

Written By Corp Comm

The Einari Vidgrén Foundation rewarded merited forestry professionals for the 19th time. Forestry professionals received a total of EUR 180,000 in recognitions. The award ceremony was held in Rientola in Vieremä on 4 June.

The Einari Award, the Einari Vidgrén Foundation’s key recognition, was granted to Roger Lejeune, whose harvesting company CC BOIS has been in operation for more than 30 years.

Roger Lejeune started as a forest machine contractor in Belgium more than 30 years ago. He purchased forest to arrange harvesting demonstrations and assure forest owners that mechanised harvesting with modern cut-to-length forest machines is the future. Roger Lejeune has worked as a pioneer of the cut-to-length forestry method in Central Europe, Russia and Chile.

In addition to the Einari Award, recognitions were given in four different categories: lifetime achievement, special recognition, operators and students.

Lifetime achievement awards

Lifetime achievement awards were given to two veteran contractors who share the

passion for the forest machine industry, still decades after their long careers. The high quality of work and staying outdoors have been an innate part of both of their lives, starting already from their earliest logging sites. Lifetime achievement awards were given to Tapio Lahikainen and Ari Siltala.  

"This year, we wanted to reward entrepreneurs whose hard work continues and whose commitment to the forest machinery industry could be called a lifestyle business," says Juha Vidgren, chairman of the Einari Vidgren Foundation.

 Special recognition awards

The foundation issues annual special recognition awards to people involved in mechanised harvesting research and development, industry education development, and those who have increased awareness of and recognition for the industry. This year, nine awards were given. 

"There are associations whose target group are schoolchildren and young people, for whom the forest experience may be the first. Rural occupations and 4-H do very meritorious work on their own, which the foundation primarily supports."

  • Rural Professions Association

  • Trees for tomorrow

  • Pilot episode of the “Savotta” (Logging site) TV show

  • Kuopio business park

  • 4H Finland, children’s forest event 2024

  • Teacher Tuomo Korhonen

  • Kiuruveden Metsola Oy, Jouni Toppi

  • “Metsä rokkaa” (Forest rocks) event, forest management association for South Savo

Global CTL
Huequecura, Chile

"Regarding the promotion of the international cut-to-length, the foundation wanted to reward the Chilean company Huequecura, which has done very systematic and high-quality wood harvesting in Chile. It's important to notice how Nordic cut-to-length method is progressing in the world," says Juha Vidgren.

Operator awards

The award criteria for operator awards include customer-driven, high-quality work, an unrelenting attitude when it comes to the quality of work, and good cooperation and communication with forest owners and other stakeholders. Einari had a clear idea for the award criteria: those operators whose quality of work is high and have a good attitude with good customer service skills have earned their awards. This year, the Einari Vidgrén Foundation gave 41 Einari operator awards for high-quality work.

  • Veli-Matti Alatalo, P&R Mäntylä Oy 

  • Jani Harju, A&L Harju Oy 

  • Atte Heikkinen, FinnHarvest Oy 

  • Jukka Heinänen, RV-Hänninen Oy 

  • Sami Helaakoski, Velj. Knuutinen Oy 

  • Harri Hyvärinen, Metsäkuljetus Hyväriset Oy 

  • Timo Hälikkä, Juha Vesalainen Ky 

  • Peter Högdal, Högdal Forest Oy Ab 

  • Jouni Järvenpää, Pekka Hakkarainen Oy 

  • Urpo Kainulainen, Motourakointi Pikkarainen Oy 

  • Riku Karhu, Hakkuuhaukat Oy 

  • Simo Karttunen, Kohmansalon Metsäkuljetus Oy 

  • Kalle Koivisto, Koneurakointi Koivistot Oy 

  • Ilkka Koivuranta, Iin Metsätyö Oy 

  • Raimo Korolainen, Pekka Lyyra 

  • Pasi Kuoppala, Jykylä & Pojat Oy 

  • Arto Kvick, Puunkorjuu Torvinen Oy 

  • Jyrki Laatikainen, Motoajo Oy 

  • Jonna Laukkanen, Vilho Laukkanen Tmi

  • Mika Leskinen, Kiteen Metsäkoneurakointi Oy 

  • Matti Lindholm, Holm & Uusitalo Oy 

  • Seppo Liukkonen, Koskenmyllyn Korjuu Oy 

  • Samuli Mertanen, Arto Koponen 

  • Petri Mielonen, Toropainen Oy Metsäkoneurakointi 

  • Janne Niiranen, Karttulan Metsätyö Oy 

  • Ismo Nousiainen, Metsänkorjuu Pulkkinen Oy 

  • Sebastian Nybacka, Granvikin Metsätyö Oy 

  • Heikki Puhakka, Koneurakointi Lukkarinen Oy 

  • Juha Pääkkö, Kone Annala Oy 

  • Jan Raappana, MKU Panu Valden Ky 

  • Tuomas Rossi, Varis Forest Oy 

  • Henri Ruuskanen, Nilakka Forest Oy 

  • Marko Saari, Veljekset Kellola Oy 

  • Seppo Siikaoja , V. Penttinen Oy 

  • Maija-Leena Sipilä, Metsä-Multia Oy, toimistotyöntekijä 

  • Ville Suhonen, Veljekset Hokkanen Oy 

  • Matjus Suomala, Half Forest Oy 

  • Markku Tapola, M. Hassel Ky 

  • Tapani Tiikkainen, Veljekset Marin Oy 

  • Juha Tukiainen, Koneurakointi S&P Heikkinen Oy 

  • Sakari Turpeinen, Koneurakointi S. Kuittinen Oy 

Einari student scholarships

Student scholarships are awarded to forest industry students who have performed well in their studies. The Foundation gave student scholarships to 35 forest industry students. The scholarships were given to the students at the end of the term.

  • Etelä-Savon Koulutus Oy, Pieksämäki, Juho Suomalainen and Sauli Kolari 

  • Yrkesakademin i Österbotten, Joel Bergström and Edvin Brännkärr   

  • Etelä-Savon Koulutus/ESEDU, Salosaari, Mikkeli, Kelym Mykhailo and Mikael Vitikainen    

  • Oulun seudun ammattiopisto Taivalkoski, Konsta Rasinkangas and Juuso Väisänen 

  •  OSAO Muhos, Eetu Olsen and Jukka Yrjänä 

  • Tredu, Kuru, Petteri Ylirautalahti and Vera Wolbert 

  • TTS Työtehoseura, Aapo Selkama and Otto Patronen 

  •  Länsirannikon Koulutus Oy WinNova, Waltter Konola and Veeti-Ville Kokko 

  •  Riveria, Valtimo, Lauri Härkönen      

  •  Gradia Jämsä. Oskari Jussila and Teemu Wirman 

  •  SEDU, Ähtäri, Arttu Kaunisto 

  • Keski-Pohjanmaan koulutusyhtymä, Juha Kuorilehto

  • Lapin ammattiopisto REDU, Rovaniemi, Casimir Tapalinen and Aatu Kantola 

  • Pohjoisen Keski-Suomen ammattiopisto, Uurainen, Erkko Laaja and Tuomas Toivonen

  • Hämeen ammatti-instituutti EVO, Konsta Kyrkkö and Ossi Lehtonen 

  •  Savon ammattiopisto, Leevi Hyvärinen and Lauri Lappalainen  

  •  Saimaan ammattiopisto, Ruokolahti, Niko Suikkanen and Aleksi Nurmiainen   

  •  Keski-Uudenmaan koulutuskuntayhtymä/KEUDA, Elias Hopeakoski  and Axel Törnroos 

  •  Ammattiopisto Samiedu, Jyri Pöyhönen and Aaro Haverinen 

Vieremä, 4 June 2024

Einari Vidgrén Foundation
Juha Vidgrén, Chair

Corp Comm
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