Cooperative Närpiön Vihannes and Stora Enso on a 70-year partnership: No compromise on taste nor quality
Greenhouse farming has a long tradition in Finland. Tomas Lindfors, CEO of Närpiön Vihannes, says that the first greenhouse was built in Turku as early as the 18th century. The small municipality of Närpiö embraced greenhouse farming in the early 20th century, evolving into today's advanced and sustainable production. According to Lindfors, tomatoes and cucumbers are vital to Finnish greenhouse production and make up over 50 percent of the country's tomato market share.
Närpiön Vihannes Cooperative
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The cooperative currently has 36 contract growers. All farms are close to the packing plant in Gottböle, Närpiö. The average distance from the farmer to the packing plant is only a few dozen kilometers.
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Founded in 1957 to market and sell the greenhouse production of the area's greenhouse growers.
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The country's leading supplier of domestic tomatoes. Their range also includes tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and chilies.
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Products are delivered to approximately 50 customers throughout Finland and the Nordic countries.
Developing technology and production optimization
Tomas Lindfors explains that the concentration of greenhouse farming in Ostrobothnia on the West Coast of Finland is a result of a cooperative model handling packaging, sales and marketing. “Although the number of farmers has decreased over the years, the area of greenhouses has grown significantly. Many farmers have made greenhouse farming a profitable business for several generations”, he says.
Technological advancements have replaced HPS lamps with LED lighting, while incorporating dehumidification and solar cells to boost energy efficiency. Production has also been optimized, with one Närpiön Vihannes farmer achieving up to 245 kilos of cucumbers per square meter, significantly surpassing the Netherlands' rate of about 70 - through adapting practices to the specific conditions of Northern Europe and receiving international recognition for expertise.
A million units per week
Tomatoes are by far the largest slice of the vegetables that pass through Närpiön Vihannes to the warehouse terminals of central stores. Cucumbers are next in volume, followed by peppers, chilies and beans, which are seasonal products.
Around a million units of vegetables are packed and delivered to Närpiö every week. A unit refers to a single cup product or a box of cucumbers. 10–12 full trucks are loaded daily. We currently have around 25 customers. Our customer base consists of central stores, wholesalers and catering kitchens. Exports account for a few percent of our total turnover. Exports go mainly to Northern Europe, the Baltics and Sweden, says Lindfors.
On a common journey: Sustainability is reflected in actions
Närpiön Vihannes has demonstrated significant growth and expansion, increasing the capacity of its facilities 16 times and seeing/enjoying a 25% growth in 2024 alone. The cooperative, which now includes 36 member farmers covering 50 hectares, operates based on market demand, paying farmers directly from market proceeds. Närpiön Vihannes and Stora Enso have had a partnership for 70 years with Stora Enso's Sales Manager Bo Lövholm contributing to this journey over the past decade. “Together, we have focused on developing new, durable, and recyclable transport and sales corrugated packaging for produce as each product item has its own individual packaging solution. Material and resource efficiency are key components of our collaboration, and we highly appreciate collaborative product development with our customer. We also recognize the critical role of our location to ensure we meet customer-specific needs effectively,” Lövholm says.
“Närpiö is currently supplied with around 20 different product items and an average of 6 million packages per year. The situation is constantly changing in terms of order volumes. We have sheets in stock that can be moved into production at a very fast pace. Deliveries move from the Kristiinankaupunki factory to Närpiö in less than half an hour,” Lövholm continues.
The partnership thrives on flexibility, quick deliveries and mutual cooperation
According to Tomas Lindfors, the quality of the corrugated fruit and vegetable packaging and the speed of delivery are crucial for Närpiön Vihannes, because the products do not wait.
“The average lead time from picking to the store is only two days. Cucumbers remain edible for about 10 days, tomatoes for somewhat longer. Flexibility, fast deliveries and smooth cooperation are at the heart of our partnership”, Lindfors says.
Sustainability is also key, with initiatives like energy surveys, a solar power plant, and optimizing packaging material efficiency. Despite technological advancements and growth, the cooperative’s commitment to uncompromised taste and quality remains unchanged. Over the past 70 years, it has grown, developed technology and built a community. One thing has remained the same, however.
“There is no compromise on taste and quality - not in the greenhouse, not in the packing house, and not on the consumer's dinner table”, Lindfors concludes.
