For 25 years, Crimppi’s story has been shaped by its people. What began as a small team has grown into a multinational company with more than 400 employees. Four colleagues who were part of that small team at the start reflect on the changes that have shaped their careers, and what has made them stay.
A quarter of century has flown by
Twentyfive years at the same company may sound like a big deal, but not when you ask this group of colleagues. According to them, time has flown by, mostly thanks to great colleagues, work that has never stood still, and the chance to follow the company’s global journey they could never imagine at the beginning.
“In the early days, our operations had a home-knit feeling to them,” says Kristiina Säilynoja-Hanhila. “Now the scale is completely different with factories in four countries, more complexity and more professionality. And every change along the way has felt natural.”
Work that keeps evolving
Crimppi’s growth has not only been about more people or new countries, it has also shaped what everyday work looks like. Kristiina, who first worked in purchasing, later moved into environmental coordination – work that covers material compliance and sustainability requirements among many other things.
“There is always something new,” she explains. “New legislation, new customer requirements, new expectations. The work never gets dull, and that’s a big part of why I’ve enjoyed staying.”
For Sami Mahlanen, the evolution has been just as steady. He began in assembly, became a team leader and today works in production design, a role that requires understanding workflows, planning when to restock items and anticipating demand.
“You don’t notice the change day by day, but when you look back, you realise how much your work has developed along the way.”
When new places become part of the story
Some of the strongest memories come from Crimppi’s expansion abroad. Kristiina remembers the founding of the China factory in 2006 as a milestone that changed the scale of her work:
“When the factory in China was established, it felt like a major step,” she says. “Suddenly we were part of something much larger, and you could feel it straight away in the communication and the way we worked.”
Mari Ketola and Beatric Lähde have spent most of their working lives in Crimppi’s production, moving through different tasks. So when the team in Latvia needed help during the ramp-up in 2024, the two of them were natural choices to go. The trip became one of those memories that stays with you.
“Helping train the team in Liepāja was a truly rewarding experience,” Mari says. “I started at Crimppi doing assembly work and later became a team leader, so I’ve learned this job from the ground up. Getting to share that experience, and seeing how quickly the team picked things up, felt great.”
Beatric agrees and adds that the people they met made the whole trip even better:
“We got along very well with our friendly colleagues in Latvia. Even though none of us spoke fluent English, we still made it work.”
The team spirit and the stability make people stay
Despite different roles, experiences and moments, all four colleagues give the same answer when asked why they have stayed: the people. For Beatric, the team quickly became the anchor at work:
“I came for the salary, but stayed for the people,” she says with a laugh. “We’ve built a really great team spirit here over the years, and I miss the ones who have moved on.”
All four agree that Crimppi is a stable workplace, something they do not take for granted in a world that keeps changing.
“Even when there have been economic crises, Crimppi has pushed forward instead of slowing down,” says Sami. “That tells you something about the leadership and the organisation as a whole.”
Through new factories, new tools, new systems and new responsibilities, one constant remains: a culture that makes people want to stay, and a shared pride in having built something together.
