The Association for Finnish Work has awarded the Key Flag Symbol to the LED tubes manufactured by Valtavalo Oy as a sign of Finnish manufacture. The Key Flag Symbol can be awarded to a product manufactured or a service produced in Finland. The domestic content of the product or service must be at least 50 per cent.
The Key Flag Symbol has been a sign of Finnish production for more than 50 years. It is associated with positive images of domestic origin, reliability, environmental friendliness and employment.
Through the Key Flag Symbol, companies can communicate important values to consumers and customers”, says Riitta Mentu from the Association for Finnish Work.
Domestic production is a matter of honour and a source of pride to many companies, including Valtavalo. The company has been at the forefront in the field of electronics manufacturing by bringing the production of its LED tubes from China to Finland. Since 2012, all Valtavalo LED tubes have been manufactured in Kajaani, Finland, at the company’s own factory. Valtavalo also uses Finnish material suppliers as much as possible, and the domestic content of its products has been increased whenever there has been a chance to do so. The design and implementation of the automated production lines were also of domestic origin. They were the handiwork of the Kuopio-based EID-Tech Oy.
Depending on the method of assessment, more than 80 per cent of our flagship product’s value comes from Finland. In fact, material suppliers that meet our high quality criteria can best be found in Finland and other Nordic countries, and Finnish automation expertise is known to be at the top level in the world”, says Markku Laatikainen, CEO of Valtavalo.
Domestic production and products are not only a value choice and a matter of corporate social responsibility to Valtavalo, but also a sustainable choice in business terms. As most of the company’s production is delivered for use in Finland and Northern Europe, it is logical, environmentally friendly and profitable to manufacture the products close to customers.
We want to emphasise a culture where domestic quality and reliability are at the focus, as these allow us to produce lasting benefits and value for our customers and society. We have also actively promoted the social significance of domestic production when companies and public organisations plan their procurement of lighting”, Laatikainen continues.
“We have received a lot of positive feedback from our customers for our domestic production and products. We also find that today, Finnish decision-makers place a lot of value on the origin of products. The Key Flag Symbol will help us further highlight the message of Finnish work in the lighting market. Products manufactured in Finland also have a fine reputation abroad, which enhances our position in the international market”, Laatikainen says.
