Sunnen Products Pressing for More and Improved Free Trade Agreements

International Business News October 2020 Sunnen Products Pressing for more and improved Free Trade Agreements

Thomas Dustman Sunnen multi-spindle honing system used Sunnen Products International to size and finish the bores in aerospace Sales Director hydraulic components to required tolerances.

Also in this issue: NEW- Spotlight on Exporters – Missouri and Oregon EXIM Exporters of Year / Explore Finland / International News/Finland Business Tips Savino Del Bene – Your Global Solution

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Explore Finland Sunnen Products

Pg. 2: Savino Del Bene

Pg. 3: ToC, Letter According to the US Trade Representative (USTR), the US Pg. 4 - 5: Sunnen Products has 14 free trade agreements in force with 20 countries.

Pg. 6: Spotlight on Exporters Not many when you consider our neighboring countries - Mexico with 14 FTAs in over 50 countries and Canada Pg. 7: EXIM Exporters of the Year with 12 FTAs in 31 countries. Pg. 8: Spotlight on Exporters, cont'd FTAs allow US companies to enter countries with lower Pg. 9: Express News duties and taxes, leveling the playing field in order to compete internationally. So, what’s holding us back? Pg. 10: Finland Travel For one thing, we could expand FTAs considerably if we Pg. 11: Profile Finland can ever come to terms with the 27 country EU block. The major hold-ups so far are the trade imbalance, Pg. 12: Profile Finland cont’d, / Transimpex tariffs and Brexit, among others. Pg. 13: Profile Finland cont’d. As of the end of 2018, the US had an overall $115 Pg. 14: Finland Travel cont'd / Profile Finland cont'd billion trade deficit in merchandise and services with the EU. Another major point of tension is the Trump Administration’s focus on unilateral trade measures IBNewsmag such as tariffs. In 2018, the US began applying tariffs of 25% and 10% on certain imports of steel and aluminum, Tel 816.616.7779 Fax: 816.472.0959 under the national security-based “Section 232” trade [email protected] law. The Administration granted some countries exceptions to the tariffs, but not to the EU. 6655 Troost Ave., Kansas City, MO 64131, USA The UK’s pending exit from the EU presents some uncertainty for US-EU economic relations. An EU In God we trust! without the UK would remain the United States’ largest trading partner, but the outcome of EU-UK negotiations PUBLISHER/EDITOR: on their future trade and economic relationship could Frederick Baehner affect US commerce.

DESIGN & PRODUCTION: Tom Gilland With the Trump administration’s focus on unilateral www.GillandGraphx.com trade agreements, there are several Asian countries SENIOR EDITOR: Doris Ganser that could become FTA candidates. First up? India appears to be the best bet. CONTRIBUTING WRITER: Paul Mastilak TRAVEL WRITER: Lisa Osborne Blalock Frederick Baehner ADVERTISING DIRECTOR: Tom Renich page 4 October 2020

Sunnen SV-2115 honing machine with custom-designed parts loading system attached. Sunnen Products presses for more and improved free trade agreements From selling valve lifter tools around the Midwest though we sell extensively in Canada, Mexico, from a 1916 Hupmobile to over 100,000 precise Germany, Italy and France, to name a few.” machining products sold worldwide, Sunnen Prod- ucts Company of St. Louis looks to free trade agree- Sunnen has been selling in China since 1993, and ments as a needed lifeline for its impressive export although several copy-cat competitors have sur- program. faced, the company’s product quality has continued to propel sales there. In fact, the company realizes over 40% of its sales from exports of its many machines and accessories “Free trade agreements (FTAs) such as the USMCA to more than 80 countries. Its numerous product and others have leveled the playing field in terms of applications range from aerospace to tool & die. duties and taxes allowing us to expand international sales,” Mr. Dustman noted. “Recently, I got the Tom Dustman, International Sales Director, said attention of a US House of Representatives delega- that Sunnen began exporting in the 1930s and tion to press home the need for more FTAs.” international sales have increased ever since. FTAs with Israel, Australia and Chile have boosted The company now sells internationally through Sunnen sales in those counties. a network of 13 wholly-owned subsidiaries and nearly 40 independent distributors. “China remains Another significant market for Sunnen is Brazil as our largest export market,” he explained, “al- where it established a joint venture manufactur-

IBNewsmag TM October 2020 page 5

ers’ customers demand precision bore sizing and finishing of manufactured components.”

Sunnen does significant business in exporting consumable products such as tools, abrasives and coolants, which wear out as part of the machining process. Training is a continuing effort. “Since the onslaught of the covid pandemic, we have been live-streaming training sessions and video production for pre-shipment acceptance to ensure our customers that the products are as specified,” he said. “When a customer orders a $500,000 machine complete with tooling, they want to be sure it meets its standards prior to shipment.”

The company works with Missouri STEP grants for marketing and training. Its primary facility in St Louis is 400,000 square feet employing nearly 500. Tom Dustman in front of a Sunnen SV-30 honing In addition, it has 75 employees in China, 50 em- machine on the assembly line in the company’s St. Louis World Headquarters holding a GH-Series ployees in Switzerland, and 20 employees in Brazil. honing tool similar to the one that is used in the machine. No wonder FTAs play such an important role in Sunnen’s continuing efforts to grow its export sales. ing facility to offset that country’s excessive import You can learn much more about the company at duties. “We’ve had outstanding sales in Brazil as a www.sunnen.com. result,” he continued. “In fact, we have very little competition in most South American countries.”

The hydraulics market is one of the company’s major industries. Selling directly to OEMs and machine shops for the airline industry, automotive, energy, firearms & defense, medical, engine building, A/C & refrigeration, job shops & contract machining, among others are its major applications.

“Engine performance in racing and medical infusion pumps depend on precise honing to perform as expected,” said Mr. Dustman in citing the company’s many proficiencies.

Intellectual property and trade secrets are of major importance to Sunnen. Bob Davis, Sunnen Global Communications, pointed out, “We have patents on most of our products and trademarks on others. Sure, competitors copy our products, but we’ve been able to maintain our market dominance with better product quality.” Sunnen honing equipment used in manufacturing medical equipment requiring extreme precision used in valves for “Custom designed products are increasingly impor- ventilators, stents, precision tubing and cranial drills. tant,” Mr. Dustman said, “as our OEM and suppli- International Business News page 6 October 2020

Spotlight on Exporters: Missouri Missouri

American Ramp Company nents around the world. Nanova is one of Missouri PPE manufacturers as well with recent production Located in Joplin, MO modifications to include manufacturing of disinfec- Contact: Brandon Robinson, Action Sports Specialist tant wipes at their Columbia facility.

Business: American Ramp Company designs and International Activities: Have approximately active manufacturers skate parks around the world. They international distributors in Europe, Asia and Africa. continue to drive for growth looking for that next export market. Theirs is an interesting story. Website: https://nanovabio.com

International Activities: Have built parks in 40 countries around the world. SCD Probiotics Located in Kansas City, MO Website: https://americanrampcompany.com Contact: Bee Wood, EVP Sales and Marketing Innovaprep Business: SCD Probiotics manufactures products to promote healthy people, plants, animals, and planet Located in Drexel, MO through the restorative power of probiotics. They Contact: Ann Packingham, Marketing Manager export to multiple countries around the globe with many different industry focuses. They continue to Business: Innovaprep manufacturers testing equip- innovate new products as well. ment that can detect micro-organisms in the air, on surfaces, and in liquids. As it can detect the COVID International Activities: Distribution channels in Virus, it can be used for outbreak monitoring of Africa, Asia, Australia, Central America, Europe, COVID-19 virus in places like hospitals, military bar- Middle East, North America and South America with racks, schools, and nursing homes. An important total of 25 distributors worldwide. company making a difference in the fight against COVID. Website: https://www.scdprobiotics.com International Activities: Distribution channels in Africa, Asia, Australia, Europe and Middle East with MK Machining approximately 20 distributors worldwide. Located in Columbia, MO Contact: Tyler Kemp, Owner and CEO Website: https://www.innovaprep.com

Business: Founded in 2015, MK Machining set out with the goal of delivering innovative products to Nanova Biomaterials the precision shooting community at an incredible Located in Columbia, MO value. All of their products are manufactured using Contact: Andrew Ritts, Director of Regulatory cutting-edge technology and materials. During Affairs and Allie Webb, Business Development the COVID-19 crisis, MK Machining stepped up to Specialist manufacture face shields and N95 respirators to help meet the demand caused by the pandemic. Business: Nanova is a medical device manufac- International Activities: Sell products in North turer producing products in the dental, surgical America, Europe, Australia and Africa. and orthopedic sectors. Nanova is an exporter with global reach serving customers in multiple conti- Website: https://mkmachining.com Spotlight, continued on page 8 IBNewsmag TM October 2020 page 7

EXIM taps 13 small businesses as • Greenfield World Trade, a small business in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, that provides foodservice its “Exporter of the Year” award equipment and supplies. It has supported exports valued at approximately $150 million in the past The Export-Import bank (EXIM) recently announced six years. www.greenfieldworld.com. that 13 small businesses utilizing EXIM products and representing a cross section of American in- • H2O LLC, a small business in Lafayette, Louisiana, novation and industry sectors from a dozen states provides water treatment solutions for offshore were recipients of its Exporter of the Year award. oil and gas markets and marine industries. Its in- Here are the award winners. ternational sales are on track to exceed 50 percent of total sales in 2020. www.h2oinc.com. • AcousticSheep LLC, a minority- and woman- owned small business in Erie, Pennsylvania, that • Interstate Narrow Fabrics Inc., a family-owned manufactures headphones designed for sleeping small business in Haw River, North Carolina, manu- and running. The company has expanded existing factures narrow fabrics such as elastics, ribbons, sales and entered new markets with exporting ac- and straps. In the past six years, it has exported to counting for 25 percent of sales. markets including Mexico, Canada, Dominican www.acousticsheep.com. Republic, and Sri Lanka. www.interstatenarrowfabrics.com. • Allen Engineering Corporation, a family-owned small business in Paragould, Arkansas, that manu- • Robbins Sports Surfaces, a veteran-owned busi- factures concrete equipment. It has exports ness in Cincinnati, Ohio, that manufactures sports valued at more than $14.6 million in the past six flooring systems. Its exports have helped sustain years. www.alleneng.com. the jobs of the entire workforce of 180 employees. www.robbinsfloor.com. • American Botanicals, a small business in Eolia, Missouri, that supplies wholesale organic spices, • RPS Corporation, a small business in Racine, Wis- herbs, and botanicals. The company has expand- consin, that manufactures commercial floor clean ed into nearly a dozen new countries. ing equipment. It has a network of distributors in www.americanbotanicals.com. 36 countries, with exports valued at more than $62 million since 2014. www.rpscorporation.com. • Consolidated Metal Products Inc., a family-owned small business in Cincinnati, Ohio, that manufac- • The Software Revolution Inc., a small business in tures suspension parts for trucks and trailers. It Kirkland, Washington, that provides automated has assembly plants in 16 countries. legacy software system modernization services. It www.cmpubolt.com. has exports supporting more than 80 percent of the company’s employees. www.tsri.com. • DataLocker, a small business based in Overland Park, Kansas, that manufactures encrypted data • Wilmington Paper Corporation, a family-owned storage solutions. Its exports are valued at more small business in Pine Brook, New Jersey, that than $2.3 million to more than 20 countries. exports scrap paper for recycling with exports ac- www.datalocker.com. counting for about 40 percent of total sales. www.wilmingtonpaper.com. • Fireaway Inc., a small business in Minnetonka, Minnesota, that manufactures fire suppression Note: According to EXIM, there are more than products. With a network of distributors on six 300,000 U.S.-based small businesses that thrive continents, its exports account for more than 82 through exporting. percent of revenue. www.statx.com.

International Business News page 8 October 2020

Spotlight, continued from page 6

Spotlight on Exporters: Oregon Oregon Blue Mountain Hay, LLC SSI Shredding Systems Milton-Freewater, Oregon Location: Wilsonville, Oregon Contact: Kris Russell, Business Development, Contact: Rich Ellis, Asia Sales Manager, rellis@ [email protected] ssiworld.com

Blue Mountain Hay is a forage products company International Business: Industrial Size Reduction based in Oregon, with several locations throughout Systems the beautiful Pacific Northwest specializing in swath- ing, raking, baling, stacking, logistics, and marketing International activities: Custom engineered and for our farmer-producers. manufactured industrial shredders to meet the diverse needs of industrial, municipal, and hazard- International activities: Export to Japan, Korea, ous environments. SSI has over 3,500 installations in Vietnam and Taiwan and are looking for more part- over 65 countries, spanning all 7 continents. nerships in other countries. Website: www.ssiworld.com Website: www.bluemountainhay.com SightLine Applications Preston Thompson Guitars Location: Hood River, OR Location: Sisters, Oregon Contact: Mark Zanmiller, Director of Business Contact: Christine Funk, General Manager, chris- Development, [email protected] [email protected] International Business: Video Processors for Un- International Business: Hand-crafted Acoustic manned Aerial Systems Guitars SightLine Applications provides onboard video pro- Thompson Guitars makes high-end customized cessors that are key sub-assemblies in advanced acoustic guitars. They use the finest of materials in- camera systems. As the market leader with a team cluding Brazilian Rosewood, Honduran Mahogany, of dedicated, experienced engineers, SightLine and even locally grown Oregon Myrtlewood, Some provides low-latency video processing on a variety of the guitars, opt for fancy inlays made with beau- of platforms. Compatible with a wide range of tiful natural materials such as abalone shell. Artists cameras, the compact hardware options enable like Eric Bibb and Molly Tuttle elegant system architectures. Video processing fea- tures support a range of surveillance, inspection, International activities: Thompson guitars are and counter UAS applications. shipped to Asia, Europe, North and South America and more. Thompson participates in the major in- International activities: Sightline products are avail- ternational music shows like NAMM to help support able globally. Sightline was awarded the Presidential its dealers. E Award for export business in 2019.

Website: www.pktguitars.com Website: www.sightlineapplications.com

IBNewsmag TM October 2020 page 9

Express News from Around the World Asahi Shinbun its economy damaged by COVID-19. (Note: 1 US Dollar = 31.08 Thai Baht - • Tokyo`s Torch Tower (63 stories) will become 9/19/2020) Japan`s tallest building. It is scheduled to be completed in fiscal year 2027. Buenos Aires Times

• Japan`s exports fell 15% in August. • The Argentine government extends its COVID-19 lockdown until October 11. The Korea Times • Falabella SA (Chile), the region`s largest depart- • Hyundai Motor has begun exporting its in-house ment store chain, announced that it would be hydrogen fuel cell system to SRZ Technologies in closing 4 of its stores in Buenos Aires. Switzerland for non-automotive use. • Honda has ended its operations in Argentina. • T`way Air, a South Korean low-cost air carrier has begun flights to Wuhan, China. • Ford and VW suspended their plans to produce vehicles in Argentina. • Popeyes may withdraw business from South Korea. • Pierre Fabre (France), a French pharmaceutical company, sold its Argentine operation to a local • Korean pharmaceutical companies are testing firm - Sidus. their COVID 19 treatment and vaccine candidates in a "virtualized" format through their partner- • Gerresheimer (Germany) sold its operation to a ship with Medidata, which offers a cloud plat- local company - IMAP. form for the entire clinical trial process. Jerusalem Post • Citigroup will hire 6,000 young people in Asia over the next three years to help cushion the OrCam`s, MyEye won Germany`s NRW INVEST region from a blowout in youth unemployment. AWARD. MyEye attaches to the frame of any set It is also offering 60,000 job training opportuni- of eyeglasses and can read text gathered from ties for those below the age of 24 over the next both printed and digital surfaces into the ear of 3 years across its retail and institutional business the wearer in real time. in the region. (OrCam is a Jerusalem-based leader in the devel- Bangkok Post opment of computer vision and artificial intel- ligence- based wearable technologies designed • The Ministry of Public Health unveiled its latest to provide independence to the blind, visually plan to reopen to visitors from abroad with 2,270 impaired, people with reading and hearing dif- foreign tourists already reportedly planning to ficulties, the hard of hearing and other groups.) visit Thailand. (Note: Foreign tourism has been a major part of the Thai economy for many years.) Skift

• AI and Robotics Ventures (ARV) (Thailand), a • Ethiopian Airlines has opened its contact-less subsidiary of PTT Exploration and Production terminal. It operates out of the second largest (PTTEP) and Mermaid Marine (Thailand) have capacity airport in Africa and has turned a formed a joint venture to develop AI and robot- profit, planning more expansion plans. ics to facilitate underwater repairs. • Saudi Arabia, in its efforts to open its tourism • Parliament passed a 3.29 trillion Baht budget bill destinations to the world, has actually enabled for 2021 fiscal year starting in October to revive its own citizens to these possible sites. International Business News page 10 October 2020

Visit Finland – having more of them than passenger cars in the country. Most locals will relax naked and though the Happiest Country discouraged, it is generally acceptable for Ameri- Finland is ranked the number one country in the cans to wear a bikini or swim trunks. world on the happiness scale in 2020 for the third year in a row. Finns are so comfortable being on 2. While in Helsinki, take both a guided bus tour their own that they have found greater happiness as and a harbor boat tour. Enjoy a ferry ride to a whole than any other people on earth. visit the giant maritime fortress of Suomenlinna, uniquely spread across seven islands. See the Though modern Finland has some nice cities, a ma- huge Neoclassical Helsinki Lutheran Cathedral, jority of Finns still live in rural areas. Often called located near the harbor (easy to spot with its tall the ‘Land of a Thousand Lakes’, Finland actually has green dome) and Uspensky Orthodox Cathedral, 187,888 lakes and 179,584 islands, which contribute which is western Europe’s largest Orthodox church to the natural space between its people. If you are and showcases 13 green spires topped with gold looking for some time away to relax and explore vast cupolas. Grab a bite to eat and do some shopping areas of nature, and can appreciate experiencing in Market Square and admire the architecture at the quirkiness of the happy Finnish people, a trip to Senate Square. Have a look at the Sibelius Monu- Finland should be on your radar for 2021 (or when- ment, which is dedicated to the Finnish composer, ever they reopen to American tourists). Jean Sibelius. The Design District in Helsinki spans 25 streets and is home to galleries, a museum, in- Having taken my 13-year old on a mother-daugh- teresting architecture and plenty of shopping. ter whirlwind tour of eight European countries last 3. Sip a cup of coffee with locals. Finns are claimed summer (2018), I recently asked her what she re- to be the biggest coffee drinkers in the world, and membered about Helsinki, Finland. Without missing great cups of java can be found all over the country. a beat, she recalled how she loved the 3-hour boat tour we took from the marina adjacent to Market 4. Visit the unofficial capital and the gate to Square and remembered complaining bitterly about Finnish Lapland, Rovaniemi. While here, enjoy how cold it was even in the July sun. Visit Finland, continued on page 14

With that said, while the summer months are generally prime months for visitors, it is important to note that the weather can be all over the place and it is best to pack for all seasons. Think of it this way. What better an opportunity to pay for one season and within the span of a week, get to experience all four? Along with variable summer weather, beautiful scenery, a fun boat ride, an interesting waterfront market (full of birds eager to steal food from you) and unique architecture, she also recalled it being an incredibly inclusive culture of all people, and too expensive for many souvenirs on her young teen budget.

With or without kids in tow, these are places and experiences that shouldn’t be missed when visiting Finland. 1. Experience a sauna in the country of its birth. Lisa’s daughter, Abby, with the Helsinki Finnish people love their saunas and prove it by Cathedral in the background

IBNewsmag TM October 2020 page 11

PROFILE: Finland A Few Practical Tips for Doing Business in Finland • The most prominent languages are Finnish and Swedish; most Finns speak good English. • Appointments can be made via email or tele- phone call. • Their emails are concise and responses are quick, so you should reciprocate. • Be punctual. • Finns are direct, extremely business-oriented and take everything at face value. • In Finland, yes means yes and no means no. • Expect slow meetings. Finns like to go over details. • Give them the technical details first then the sales pitch. • Expect very little small talk. • Finns are not braggers. • Tell the truth. Don’t embellish. Never say any thing that you do not mean. • Finns hate interruptions. • Literacy Rate: 100% • Finns do not tend to ask questions, especially • Government Type: Parliamentary republic after a presentation. • Cracking jokes here and there isn`t necessarily • Capital City: Helsinki rude or a breach of expected tone. Finns like a joke as much as anybody. Economy Finland transformed from a farm/forest economy Location to a diversified modern industrial economy. Its per In Northern Europe bordering the Baltic Sea, the capita income is among the highest in in Western Gulf of Bothnia, and the Gulf of Finland. Finland is Europe. Its population is highly educated. located between Sweden and Russia. It has over 187,000 lakes. The terrain is mostly flat to rolling Per capita income is slightly larger than Belgium or Germany. The government is actively involved in plains interspersed with lakes and low hills. attracting foreign investment. Brief History Major challenges are reducing high labor costs and • 12th - 19th Centuries - Under Swedish rule boosting demand for exports. The government is • 1809 - Became part of Russia seeking to reform the government-owned • 1917 - Gained independence health care system and social services. • 1939 -1945 - Defended its independence Finland’s aging population and the distribution of • 1945 - Present - Maintains its neutrality traditional industries threaten competitiveness, fiscal sustainability and economic growth. Size • GDP: $269B (2019) • Slightly smaller than Montana • GDP Growth Rate: 2.9% (2019) • Population Distribution: Vast majority of popu- • Unemployment Rate: 8% (2018) lation is in the south. • Exchange Rate: 1US Dollar = 11.8 Euro • Northern interior areas remain sparsely populated. • Labor Force: 2.5 M (2018) • Population: 5.6M (July 2020 est.) • Labor Force Makeup: 3.6% - Agriculture, 22.2% - • Population Growth Rate: 0.3% (2020 est.) Industry, 74.2% - Services (2019) Finland, continued on page 12 pagepage 1212 OctoberJuly 2017 2020

Finland, continued from page 11 Major Industries: Metals and metal products, • Sweden - $6.9% electronics, machinery and scientific instruments, • US - $5.2B shipbuilding, pulp and paper, foodstuffs, chemi- • Netherlands - $4.2B cals, agriculture (barley, wheat, sugar beets, pota- • Russia - $3.9B toes, dairy cattle, fish) • China - $3.8B • UK - $2.8B International Trade Total Imports: $65.7B (2019) Total Exports: $73.3B (2019 Major Imports (2019) Major Exports (2019) • Mineral fuels, mineral oils etc. - $11B - (15%) • Machinery including computers - $9.8B (13.4%) • Nuclear reactors, boilers, machinery and • Paper, paper items - $8.9B (12.1%) mechanical appliances, parts thereof- $9.29B - (12.6%) • Mineral fuels, including oil - $6.8B (9.3%) • Electrical machinery/equipment - $6.93B • Vehicles - $5.7B (7.8%) (9.43%) • Electrical machinery/equipment - $5.7B (7.8%) • Vehicles etc. - $6.92B (9.42%) • Iron & steel - $4.3B (5.9%) • Unspecified commodities - $3.6B (4.89%) • Optical, technical, medical apparatus - $3.5B • Iron & steel - $2.4B - (3.32%) (4.7%) • Plastics and articles - $2.4B (3.32%) • Wood - $3.1B (4.2%) • Pharmaceuticals - $2.18B (2.96%) • Wood pulp - $2.8B (3.8%) • Optical, photographic etc. instruments - $2.12B • Plastics, plastic items - $2.4B (3.3%) (2.89%) Major Export Partners (2019) • Ores, slag and ash - $1.88B (2.56%) • Germany - $10.3B

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Major Import Partners (2019) • Neste - oil and gas production and sales - • Germany - $11.35B www.neste.com - Espoo • Russia - $10B • Kone Oyj - elevators, escalators, automatic-build • Sweden - $8.13B ing doors - www.kone.com - Helsinki • China - $5.97B • Stora Enso Oyj - paper and packaging - www.storaenso.com - Helsinki • Netherlands - $3.26B • Kesko - retail stores - www.kesko.com - Helsinki • US - $2.59B • Altia - alcoholic beverages - www.altiagroup.com Fastest Growing Finnish Imports (2018) - Helsinki 1. Nickel • Basware Corporation – software - 2. Other base metals www.basware.com - Espoo 3. Ships, boats • EKS - disc jockey hardware - www.eks.fi - Espoo 4. Arms & ammunition • Kemira Oyj - chemicals for fiber treatment, 5. Zinc water treatment and separation - 6. Lead www.kemira.com - Helsinki 7. Collector items, art, antiques • Kone Oyj - elevators, escalators, automatic 8. Vehicles building doors - www.kone.com - Helsinki 9. Iron & steel products • Lemminkainen Group – construction - 10. Woodpulp www.lemminkainen.com - Helsinki • Nokian Tyres – tires - www.nokiantyres.com - English Language News Sites Nokia • Helsinki Times - general news - • Nokian Jalkinect – footwear - www.helsinkitimes.fi www.nokianfootwear.com - Nokia • Finland Today - general news - • Outokumpu - stainless steel - www.finlandtoday.fi www.outokumpu.com - Helsinki • News Now Finland - general news - • Patria - defense contractor - www.newsnowfinland.fi www.patriagroup.com - Helsinki • Daily Finland - general news - www.dailyfinland.fi • Planmeca - dental equipment - www.planmeca.com - Kempele Sampling of Finnish Companies • Polar Electro - heart rate monitors etc. - • Fiskars - kitchen, garden and outdoor equipment www.polar.com - Kempele - www.fiskarsgroup.com - Helsinki • Ponsee - forestry vehicles - www.ponsse.com - • Huhtamaki – packaging - www.huhtamaki.com - Vierema Espoo • Sisu Auto - trucks - www.sisuauto.com - Helsinki • Metsa Group - paper, pulp, timber - • St1 - petroleum gas stations, production of www.metsagroup.com - Helsinki ethanol, electric generation and sales - Helsinki • Nokia - telecommunications infrastructure and • Stenfors - heavy construction/building automa- equipment - www.nokia.com - Espoo tion - www.stenfors.com - Oulo • Raisio Group - food products - www.raisio.com - • Ahtium - nickel mining - www.ahtium.com - Raisio Espoo • Valmet - technologies and automation systems • Tikkurila Oyj - paints and lacquers - for pulp, paper and energy industries - www.tikkurilagroup.com - Tikkurila www.valmet.com - Espoo • Valio Ltd. - dairy products - www.valio.com - • Wartsila - power plants, marine propulsion Helsinki systems, maintenance services - • Valtra - tractors and other ag machinery - www.wartsila.com - Helsinki www.valtra.com - Suolahti • Ahlstrom Munksjo - fiber based materials - • Yit - heavy construction - www.yitgroup.com - www.ahlstrom-munksjo.com - Helsinki Helsinki • UPM - Kymmene Oyj - pulp, paper and timber - Finland, continued on page 14 www.upm.com - Helsinki • Sampo Group - financial services - www.sampo.com - Helsinki pagepage 1414 OctoberJuly 2017 2020

Visit Finland, continued from page 10 the lush wilderness, go berry picking, stay at the Arctic Treehouse Hotel, visit the Ranua Wildlife Park, float on your back in the middle of a freez- ing Arctic lake, and visit ahusky park and reindeer farm in the summer. In the winter, stay inside a glass igloo hotel and enjoy prime viewing of the Northern Lights. Santa Claus Village is a perfect Helsinki Waterfront place to visit all year round.

5. Check out some of the country’s unique sports. Senate Square As a participant or merely as spectator, enjoy ice climbing, wife-carrying, pesäpallo, mölkky, wellie throwing, ringette and sauna bathing (yes, they’ve made it into a sport). 6. Visit the Sámi. As the only indigenous people in the EU, their language and way of life is endan- gered and many live in Northern Finland. By Lisa Osborne Blalock Footloose Travel & Tours [email protected]

Finland, continued from page 13 • May 1 - Labor Day • May 10 - Ascension Day Public Holidays • June 22 - Midsummer`s Eve (not all businesses • January 1 - New Year’s Day closed) • Friday before Easter - Good Friday • June 22 - Anti-Fascist Day • Monday after Easter - Easter Monday • December 6 - Independence Day • December 24 - Christmas Day (not all business closed) • December 25 - First Christmas Holiday • December 26 - Second Christmas Holiday By Paul Mastilak InterMark3, Inc

Snowman at Santa Office in Santa Claus Village in Rovaniemi, Lapland, Finland