Kari Hämäläinen

Kari Hämäläinen, Rocla's domestic sales manager, has been elected chairman of the Industrial Trucks Section of the Association of Finnish Technical Traders.

The association consists of 22 sections of operation, representing various branches of industry.

Each section is a forum for competing companies in the product sector to work together to promote their branch of industry, occupational safety and environmental issues as well as raising the level of professionalism.

Rocla has been awarded chairmanship of the Industrial Trucks Section and will maintain the role for one or two years.

"The working safety of trucks is an actual issue at the moment", says Hämäläinen. "The Finnish Ministry of Social Affairs and Health wants trucks to be inspected regularly - as is done in Denmark and Germany."

Another issue high on Hämäläinen's agenda is illegal importation of trucks. "Those trucks are mostly manufactured for Asian markets and do not match to EU standards," he notes, adding that his group is determined to improve safety standards.

With almost 300 company members, the association is the largest technical wholesale organisation in Finland. Its aims include maintaining contacts with authorities and members, enhancing member companies' operations and informing members of matters concerning technical trade. There is also a strong focus on export markets, with more companies engaging in business outside Finland, especially Russia and the Baltic states.