Ponsse and Vidgrén family underpin Vieremä’s economy

Forestry machinery maker Ponsse and the business network around it support about 1,000 jobs in Vieremä, while the company and its owners also help fund local services and community groups, Yle reports.

The municipality in North Savo has about 3,300 residents but more jobs than workers. In September, unemployment stood at about 5.7 per cent, the lowest rate in the region. Statistics Finland puts Vieremä’s job self-sufficiency at about 130 per cent.

Ponsse is the municipality’s most significant employer. Four Vidgrén brothers own a majority of the publicly listed company, with Juha Vidgrén holding about 22 per cent. He ranked fifth among North Savo’s highest earners last year, while his brothers also each had total earnings of more than one million euros.

The company pays Vieremä about one million euros in corporate tax each year and more than 100,000 euros in property tax. Municipal income tax paid by its hundreds of employees adds to that revenue. The municipality had a surplus of 14.7 million euros from previous years, according to its latest annual accounts.

Municipal manager Mika Suomalainen said the shift change at Ponsse can cause traffic congestion in the town centre. He said Vieremä has no state-sector jobs and depends on one large company and the subcontractor network around it. Some workers drive to neighbouring municipalities after their shifts, including journeys of more than 100 kilometres to Kuopio or Kainuu. Suomalainen said he saw no economic clouds on the horizon.

Juha Vidgrén has funded community projects including a sheltered, heated outdoor space at the school centre and Rientola, a dance hall and village hall. He has also supported local athletes, clubs and associations. A foundation established in his father’s name has awarded about 2.5 million euros in grants and scholarships.

Vidgrén said Ponsse’s reputation comes from several factors and that charitable work is not the main one. He described the company’s local involvement as corporate responsibility.

The relationship between Ponsse and the municipality began in 1970, when local entrepreneur Einari Vidgrén asked the council to build a hall and rent it to him. The council approved the project by a majority of one vote. His son Juha said some people doubted the business would last, and local residents viewed the first forestry machines made in the hall with some amusement.