Kala ja Maatuote Heinonen Oy History

1959
Alpo K Heinonen establishes with his partner a limited partnership to supply the shops and stores with fish and vegetables in the region.

1964
Alpo K Heinonen founds a business T:mi Kala- ja Maatuote AK Heinonen. The main items are vegetables and fresh fish which are sold to shops, stores and institutional kitchens directly from the vehicles. Lingon berry purchasing is started this year. The berries are delivered to the central firms in Helsinki. The company premises locate in two garages of Kurikantalo in Itikanmäki.

1966
Inkeri Heinonen enters into partnership in her husband’s firm.

1969
The enterprise acquires new premises in the old school of Pohja.

1974
A new and own store building is built in the industrial estate of Kapernaum. The new building is regarded as modern store by standards of the time. The sales activities directly from the vans are discontinued and the firm enters upon daily telephone sales service with fixed routes to customers some of which are still in use. The opening takes place on November 10th, at 8 o’clock.

1979
The big-scale sale of fish as well as night transportations are minimized, the main focus is directed on fruit and vegetable sales. Fish is still one of the main articles.

Early 80's
Sale of grill products is initiated with representation of Norrgård potato products. Fons natural water representation brings new customers with whom the activities are enlarged.

1986
J-P Heinonen is employed as a van driver in the firm.

1991
Jarkko Heinonen is employed as a van driver in the firm.

1992
The company form is changed to limited partnership and the sons of the family enter as sleeping partners into the partnership. The enterprise has six employees.

1993
JH-Pakaste Oy is founded by the side of the company to fulfil the concept with the intention to import frozen vegetables. This new company operated some years.

1994
The company, as second private Finnish wholesaler enters into the sales of milk products. The lingon berry business is given up entirely after this year.

1995
The first enlargement of the premises is completed with more chilled room and new cold store. The first fruits and vegetables are purchased from abroad, import still continuing today.

1996
Kimmo Heinonen is employed as a van driver in the company.

1997
The company form is changed into a limited company on July 1st. The new company is called now Kala ja Maatuote Heinonen Oy.
Kala ja Maatuote Heinonen Oy establishes a nation-wide chain with six other private wholesalers to meet the needs of the catering field (PATU- Suomen palvelutukkurit Oy) with the head-office in Helsinki.

At the same time the volume sales of factory produced foodstuffs to the retailers and sales of fresh meat products are set up.


1998
The second enlargement of the premises is now ready. The space is doubled making the continuing growth of the company possible.

1999
Alpo Heinonen retires part-time, Jarkko Heinonen is nominated as Managing Director.

2001
A change in the business branch is made, the volume sales of factory produced foodstuffs to the retailers is diminished and the concentration was focused on the sector of Hotel, Restaurant, Catering.

The transfer to descendants is carried out. J-P, Jarkko and Kimmo Heinonen buy the company from the establishers Alpo and Inkeri Heinonen who now move to spend the days of retirement. Import of non-food/fastfood packages is commenced and the distribution net is built throughout Finland.

2002
Almost all the vehicles are sold to subsuppliers.

2004
Fresh fish returns in the selection. Thanks to the development of the fresh fish packages other products can be shipped in the same loads.

Today
The selection of products covers all possible from cigarettes, beverages, coffee to vegetables. We have own product families under the trademark PATU and KM. In addition to the wholesale of fruits and vegetables the company imports non-food products and preserved foods. The company gives work to 11-14 persons and has become most noteworthy foodstuff wholesaler in the region.

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