Finnish border town Kuhmo hopes to attract more Russians

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The city of Kuhmo, in the central part of Finland’s eastern area, wants to recruit more Russian sales personnel as part of its campaign to attract more Russian customers to its places of business.
      The number of people entering Finland at the Vartius border crossing each year has plummeted by tens of thousands in the past couple of years, and local decision-makers want to reverse the trend. The rise in the value of the euro three years ago made Finland a less lucrative destination for Russians on shopping trips. This year, the trend seems slightly more positive for Finnish border towns.
      In addition to hiring more Russian sales personnel, the community held an open-door weekend on Saturday and Sunday. The event was intensely marketed in the nearby Russian industrial and mining town of Kostamuksha, and hundreds of guests showed up.
      During the days of open doors, Russians were allowed to use local cultural and athletic facilities for free. Stores offered Russians discounts, and customer service was provided in their own language.
     
Helena Kampman, the head of the project, said that the decline in cross-border traffic had to be stopped.
      "The investments of the Finnish electronics manufacturer PKC Group in Kostamuksha have created new prosperity on the other side of the border. A department store has been established there, and another one is on the way", Kampman says.
      "Selections there have grown, so shopping trips to Finland are no longer self-evident."
      About 100 Russian immigrants live permanently in Kuhmo. Most of them are the wives of Finnish men, and do not have regular employment themselves.
      One of the goals of the new project is to create at least ten new jobs for them. It is thought that their cross-border contacts will bring new customers.
     
Hannu Heikkinen, manager of a local electronics store, hired Natalia Huotari as a trainee a month ago.
      The store is filled with lively chatter in Russian, as Huotari demonstrates new Nokia mobile telephone models to Alexander Egorov. Heikkinen believes that he will get more Russian customers as the news of his knowledgeable and linguistically talented employee spreads.
      "The technical vocabulary still causes problems, but I like to serve customers. I know many people in Kostamuksha and visit there regularly", Huotari says.
     
After living in Kuhmo for five years, Huotari speaks excellent Finnish. Her Russian training in accounting and economics were not much help in finding work in Finland.
      "I have tried to find work in sales. Usually they have said that there’s nothing available right now, but let’s see later. Nevertheless, Finns have been hired. On the other hand, I understand that, because Kuhmo has a high unemployment rate."
      What is most important in Kampman’s opinion is to get local businesspeople to understand the opportunities offered by the border.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  PKC Group to transfer jobs to Russia (9.8.2005)
  Russian border town supplies components for Finnish electronics factory (25.1.2005)

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