The eating out and takeaway trend is expected to return to growth after the coronavirus pandemic eases. Valio’s aim is to be a more comprehensive partner to restaurant and coffee shop professionals. That is why it is acquiring Heinon Tukku Oy. In the future, Valio will be a single-source supplier of everything a professional kitchen needs: in addition to an extensive selection of raw materials, support in product development and in creating meal and snack concepts. The transaction is subject to approval by the Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority.
“People’s habits are changing as the world changes – including where and how we eat. We grab a snack on the go, we eat or have coffee away from home, and we pick up a chef-made meal to bring home. The coronavirus temporarily forced customers out of restaurants, but once we beat the pandemic people will again go out to meet up with friends around good food. Professional kitchens have been Valio’s customers for decades. We want to be an even better partner for them in the future,” explains Valio CEO Annikka Hurme.
Heinon Tukku Oy has been in business for over 120 years and is today one of Finland’s biggest wholesalers serving professional kitchens. Heinon Tukku’s typical turnover in recent years has been around 240 million euros. The coronavirus pandemic naturally reduced its turnover, which was about 170 million euros in 2020. About 340 employees will transfer to Valio through the acquisition. The acquisition will create for Valio a new business unit, which will be headed by Tuomas Sorri. Sorri is currently Senior Vice President of Valio Food Solutions, which serves professional kitchens and the food industry. Valio Executive Board member Elli Siltala will have the overall responsibility of the business unit.
“Valio and Heinon Tukku genuinely complement each other. Heinon Tukku has a portfolio of thousands of products – from fresh vegetables to napkins – and its customers are restaurants and coffee shops particularly in the Helsinki metropolitan area. Valio brings the country’s most extensive distribution network and particularly public sector customers. We deliver orders on time directly to restaurants, coffee shops, filling stations, and employee restaurants from Hanko to Utsjoki. Together we will be a more comprehensive partner to those restaurant industry players for whom quality, Finnish origin, a deep understanding of customer needs, and delivery reliability are key factors,” notes Sorri.
“Valio will be a good owner for Heinon Tukku. The strengths of the parties in this acquisition complement each other, and there aren’t many overlapping functions. Valio is a valued and responsible Finnish player and a familiar company; we have collaborated with Valio for more than 100 years,” notes Petri Heino, CEO of Tukkuheino Oy, the parent company of Heinon Tukku.
“Acquiring Heinon Tukku is a natural step that aligns with our strategy. Our goal is to be a frontrunner in food sector solutions, and Heinon Tukku’s know-how and broad product portfolio will bring a significant addition to this. We also share a similar set of values. Heinon Tukku is a traditional family-owned company, and Valio’s owners, in turn, are Finnish dairy farmers,” Sorri explains.
Background info about Valio:
- 12 production plants in Finland: in addition to consumer goods, food industry products and solutions for food sector professionals and for the food industry, in total about 1,000 of its own products
- Own distribution logistics: deliveries from the Turku archipelago to Nuorgam, the northernmost spot in Finland
- 5,400 deliveries per day, delivery reliability more than 99%
- Main warehouse in Helsinki, distribution centres in Riihimäki, Jyväskylä, and Oulu, in addition to a network of terminals
Background info about Heinon Tukku:
- Cash & Carry outlets in Helsinki and Vantaa, delivery wholesale units in Espoo and Kuopio.
- Cash & Carry: pick-up sites customers can come to make purchases every day of the week
- Wholesale delivery: all the products customers need – from perishables to frozen products – delivered to the customer with a single order
- Supplier of a total of about 30,000 products. Fresh foods account for most of the products; in addition, industrial products like beverages, frozen products, and cooking utensils and tableware.
