Valio to purchase Finnish foodservice wholesaler Heinon Tukku

Valio has agreed to acquire Finnish wholesaler Heinon Tukku, which supplies restaurants and cafes, as it expects the eating away-from-home trend to return to growth following the ease of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Heinon Tukku has been in business for over 120 years and serves professional kitchens with predominantly fresh food, as well as beverages, frozen products and cooking utensils. The company operates cash and carry outlets in Helsinki and Vantaa, as well as delivery wholesale units in Espoo and Kuopio.

With the acquisition, Valio aims to be a more comprehensive partner and single-source supplier to restaurant and coffee shop professionals.

According to Valio, Heinon Tukku’s typical turnover in recent years has been around €240 million, however it reported €170 million in 2020 due to the pandemic.

Upon completion of the transaction, around 340 Heinon Tukku employees will transfer to Valio under a new business unit – which will be headed by Tuomas Sorri, current senior vice president of Valio Food Solutions, which serves professional kitchens and the food industry. Meanwhile, Valio executive board member, Elli Siltala, will have overall responsibility of the business unit.

“Valio and Heinon Tukku genuinely complement each other. Heinon Tukku has a portfolio of thousands of products – from fresh vegetables to napkins – and its customers are restaurants and coffee shops particularly in the Helsinki metropolitan area,” said Sorri.

“Valio brings the country’s most extensive distribution network and particularly public sector customers. We deliver orders on time directly to restaurants, coffee shops, filling stations and employee restaurants from Hanko to Utsjoki. Together we will be a more comprehensive partner to those restaurant industry players for whom quality, Finnish origin, a deep understanding of customer needs, and delivery reliability are key factors.”

Petri Heino, CEO of Tukkuheino, the parent company of Heinon Tukku, said: “Valio will be a good owner for Heinon Tukku. The strengths of the parties in this acquisition complement each other, and there aren’t many overlapping functions. Valio is a valued and responsible Finnish player and a familiar company; we have collaborated with Valio for more than 100 years.”

The deal – which was made for an undisclosed sum – is subject to approval by the Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority.