Jari Malkamäki, CEO of Jämerä Kivitalot Oy, appreciates the sense of community and networking opportunities brought by membership in the Small House Industry, which are important for the geographically dispersed small house industry. In challenging times for construction, up-to-date statistical information is also an important support for decision-making.
Jari Malkamäki describes Jämerä Kivitalot Oy as a “design and engineering office” rather than a prefabricated house factory. Stone houses are not made in factories, but piece by piece on the construction site. Throughout its 50-year history, Jämerä has been a house brand of a lightweight concrete factory.
"We provide structural design and construction services as well as building materials for stone houses individually designed by architects, which are mostly single-family homes. Our 15 employees develop the Jämerä brand together with the group with a very international approach – the most distant Jämeräs are sold in Switzerland."
“We are part of the international Bauroc group, which manufactures and sells lightweight concrete and other stone materials at four factories in the Baltics, with the most recent acquisition being a cast-iron and paving stone factory in Tallinn. Bauroc's turnover is approximately 60 million euros and it employs almost 300 people.”
Malkamäki, who is the chairman of the Finnish Small House Industry Association (PTT), says that Jämerä is an active member of PTT. “We participate in various working groups related to, for example, marketing and technical matters.”
Member services in active use
TES and legal services are the services most typically utilized by member companies, but Malkamäki also highlights the importance of statistical information.
"Through the Construction Industry RT, we receive statistical information at the entire industry level, but the Small House Industry also conducts internal data collection, which is used to implement statistics at the industry level."
Challenging times in construction make us rely on information. Up-to-date information is an important support for decision-making.
"I find statistics and bringing information together really important. In addition, one important member service that made us join as members in the first place is training services. Various training courses on, for example, legal changes are really essential member benefits for us."
Networked power
The single-family home industry's annual networking events, such as the autumn seminar, bring together a comprehensive range of industry players.
"Other meeting places – whether they are meetings or research projects – also generate discussions and a sense of community. Encounters create patterns of cooperation and even joint projects," says Malkamäki.
“However, the single-family home industry is quite small and geographically dispersed, so creating forums is important. This is increasingly emphasized in difficult times like now.”
Jari Malkamäki also sees belonging to the Small House Industry Association as important, especially in terms of impact.
"If we are talking about political or legislative influence, RT's influence is also of paramount importance for operators in the single-family housing industry. Also, if you want to network with, for example, municipal decision-makers, it is more natural to approach under the name of RT."
Concrete benefits from this influence were seen, for example, in the reform of the Construction Act, which also allowed PTT to submit statements and thus rationalize the legislation concerning the industry. “We will continue that work.”
Jämerä Kivitalot Oy
- The Jämerä brand is sold in the Baltics and Switzerland, among others.
- Part of Bauroc AS Group
- Staff: 15 (2024)
- Turnover: approx. €5,1 million (2024)
- Websites
Pientaloteollisuus PTT ry
- An association of wood, log and stone house manufacturers, whose goal is to promote single-family house construction and living
- Members: 11 building suppliers and nearly 60 partner companies (2024)