A flying start to entrepreneurship
Lämpökulma’s exceptional growth is due to keeping its customers satisfied, smart financial management and service development.
Timo Telkkä, Marko Laukkanen and Matias Kettunen are aiming for a leading position in the heat pump market. And they are well placed to do so, as Lämpökulma has shown stellar growth every year since it was founded, despite the difficulties that the market has thrown its way. For example, in 2023, the Finnish heat pump market contracted by around 40%, but the company managed to increase its sales by around 16% and expand its operations by hiring more staff in its two offices.
But more about that later. First, let us explore where it all began. Timo’s two sons were training in the heating, plumbing and ventilation sector, but Timo himself had no experience in the field. By his own account, he didn’t even know what an air-source heat pump was. So, when Marko asked him to start a company in the sector with him and Timo said yes, he says his answer took himself by surprise.
“The question came at just the right time, and I didn’t hesitate for a second. A few days later we went to the New Enterprise Agency to talk to Heli. The Lämpökulma store was opened just six weeks later, Timo says.
Heli Tavasti is managing director of the Mikkeli Region New Enterprise Agency for new businesses. Tavasti says that the division of responsibility between the entrepreneurs in Lämpökulma caught her attention.
“The entrepreneurs were and still are self-starters. They are very willing to take care of things themselves. Their team worked well, as the roles and division of labour were clear and complemented each other – one has sales expertise and the others have industry expertise. I saw this as a winning combo,” Heli says.
The new entrepreneurs wished that the New Enterprise Agency would confirm their own calculations and ensure them that there was room for such a business in the market. After the first meeting, everything moved quickly. Lämpökulma currently provides high-quality heat pump sales, installation and maintenance services in the South Savo and Päijät-Häme regions. Their range also includes geothermal heating equipment and installations. The company helps customers reduce their heating costs and improve their living comfort with environmentally friendly solutions.
Growth without borrowed money
The company has grown at a remarkable pace, even though the global situation is unstable and has affected Lämpökulma’s sector as well. How is it possible for the market to dive, but a single business to soar? Timo is happy to share his insights with budding entrepreneurs:
“Patient growth is the secret to our success. For example, we haven’t tried to expand our operations with third-party funds. And I’ve always stressed that although you can’t influence external factors, you do have control over our own actions. The way I look at it, you have to be on top of the situation all the time and be aware of your own finances: how much sales you have, and how many invoices you have to pay. If you’re in the dark about these things, you’re going to end up having a lot of sleepless nights when things get tough.”
In addition to smart financial management, the Lämpökulma entrepreneurs have placed a high value on customer satisfaction and service development from the start.
“We monitor customer satisfaction closely, and all our staff are fully committed to quality and an excellent customer experience. We always send a feedback questionnaire to every customer after the job has been completed. And one way or the other, we always learn from it.”
