MAHLA FOREST OY produces a variety of drinkable foodstuffs. Our company resides in Pieksämäki, in the feet of unpolluted forests and clear waters of Southern Savonia.
Our values:
Juha Tarkiainen establishes the company Mahla Forest at an age of 25. The name is a premonition and savonian simple: Mahla (sap) is gathered in the forest. The company is named with keeping an eye on ever growing globalization. Premises are built in the farms empty barn. Birch tree sap is bottled in a cattle kitchen few square meters in size. Birch tree sap drink is being sold mostly to stores in the neighboring area.
Mahla Forest begins to import bottling accessories and wholesale trade which works as a foothold in the market.
Harvesting sap is experienced as too relying on season, so the ideology of the company is developed around other tree drinks. Lagrima Arctica rises as a first own product, which is produced from young tips of a spruce tree into a alcohol free festive drink. It becomes a popular regional product.
However, the companys intention is birch tree sap. Its market is known to be abroad, so the company focuses on enhancing exports.
On the same year the company gets acquainted with a significant cooperation partner and the first large partnership on subcontracting is agreed upon. Then the roots of the business’s cornerstones are created, which are B2B, cargo – and Private Label-sales. Co-operation deepens, status strengthens.
The company focuses enhancing exports i.a. partaking in numerous fairs.
In the year of Terra Madre-fair the first significant sale to Italy is made, where the sap is exported for the next two years. At the same time the company gets a major deal in Finland for refining birch tree sap, and its repertory expands into refining raw materials.
The company now works as wholesale, subcontractor, refiner of raw materials and opens up exports. Its operations has grown significantly so premises and the capacity of production is expanded.
The company has grown, so it becomes a corporation in February and leaves behind its trade name.
It exports thousands of liters of birch tree sap to Italy. At the same time it buys the brand and manufacturing of Boris-drink. This expands the companys operations into health and wellbeing. The product is taken from margin- and specialized shops into grocery stores, which opens a door to supermarkets. On the same summer the company introduces its soft-drinks into the supermarkets, when the idea of becoming a comprehensive drink manufacturer starts to take its place. As the repertory grows, the company decides to focus in home country markets. The year is strong.
Product development takes a strong position. Current products are stabilized and products availability in Finlands supermarkets is strengthened. The company invests extensively in equipments. A good bell can be heard afar and company signs another inclusive subcontract, which is now a cornerstone of business.
Instead of refining the company starts processing the raw birch tree sap further as a base of its own products.
The year is significant and the company signs a large co-operation contract, hence invest in a fully automated production line and machinery. It enables growth for years to come. The year turns out to be the greatest in its history despite extensive investing into heavy machinery.
The company sets its sights again into exports and enhancing it.
Spring and Corona virus confronts the world. In these uncertain times business goes as usually. Exports start small-scale.
During the summer the company gets granted the licences required to produce spirits, which widens the repertory.
The company signs new significant contracts on co-operations and expands its premises.
Chief executive officer Juha Tarkiainen receives commendation on exemplary business practice and is acknowledged as “Pieksämäkis young entrepreneur of the year 2020”.
The year 2021 consolidated the old, but also brought along the new. In spite of pandemic, the year as a whole was record-breaking.
First and foremost, the past year spotlighted the importance of cooperation. Corporate cooperation, subcontracting, and the position of Private Label service developed and consolidated successfully. The Company formed new liaisons and continued to deepen the old partnerships. Therefore, the machinery capacity was diversified e.g. for sparkling wines and other premium beverages.
Three new products were introduced, consolidating the main product categories: the line of natural wellness juices and the line of premium alcoholic beverages. With the latter in mind, a new brand called “Tarkiainen Winery” was established, under which alcoholic beverages and non-alcoholic sparkling wines will be included in the future.
Due to a business set up at an early age and its successful management, Mahla Forest’s entrepreneurial couple Juha and Aino Tarkiainen became the Young Entrepreneurs in the Region of South Savo in 2021 awarded by the entrepreneurs of South Savo.
The company broke it’s sales record and established more it’s position in the beverage market. With the new products, the company’s product line was limited to two clear brands: Boris and Tarkiainen Winery- product families. The Boris family is a brand of well-being drinks, just as Tarkiainen Winery is a brand of different kind of premium – and social drinks.
A generational change took place at the Mahla Forest factory’s farm, when the entrepreneurial couple Juha and Aino Tarkiainen themselves moved to the family farm. Thus, an annual summer store opened for the first time. Various events were also organized on the farm. For example nationwide “Local Food Day” for the whole family.
With growth, the company switched to shift work and the number of staff increased. The year contained big development steps and successes.
The year 2023 was very successful for the company. The production in liters increased considerably and the turnover broke the all-year record. More investments were made in the production line and equipment in order to make the operation and capacity of the production as versatile as possible.
Due to the leap in growth, the operation started to be certified more. At the same time, we started to build a higher level of operation method in every part of the company. More and more attention was focused on food safety, training, development and overall strategy, so that the operation would meet the high quality standards set for it. The process, which took a whole year, was successfully completed and certified at the beginning of 2024.
