Toni Karppinen, site manager at Rakennustoimisto Laamo Oy, has been selected as the 2025 Champion of the Year by the Southwest Finland District of the Building Construction Industry. The recognition was given in particular for his meritorious work in the Raisio Tiedonpuisto school project and for his strong, people-oriented leadership approach.
Toni Karppinen describes coming across the Champion of the Year award during his first internship.
"Early in my career, I followed who had received this award and considered them to be very professional. Now that my name is on the same list, it feels really great," he says.
A childhood dream of the construction industry and a determined career path
Karppinen dreamed of becoming a builder when he was three years old. His future profession was clear even at a young age, and he trained in the construction industry at a vocational school and continued his studies at a university of applied sciences to become a master builder.
“I have always wanted to be a construction foreman,” Karppinen says. His career has taken him through several construction sites to his current role, where he has played a key role in demanding projects, most recently in Raisio's large-scale school project.
At the heart of the success of a major project: trust and team spirit
Karppinen served as site manager from start to finish on the Raisio Tiedonpuisto school project. It was the largest project of his career to date: a 40 million euro project management contract, employing over 15 staff. All site operations, from design control to procurement, were centralized on site. Exceptionally strong cooperation and commitment were at the heart of the project's success.
“We had a really good team spirit, a professional team and it felt like all the stones were in the right position. All the challenges were solved together, and nothing was left undone,” Karppinen describes. The diverse team was also special: there were both experienced veterans and younger expertise. It brought depth and energy to what we were doing. It felt like the parents also had a fire in their eyes and were getting younger by several years with good drive.
Leadership is coaching – not commanding
Karppinen describes his own leadership style as collaborative and coaching. According to him, the job of a site manager is not to do everything himself, but to enable others to succeed.
"The most important thing in the role of a coach is to create conditions where everyone can do their job in the best possible way. He also emphasizes fairness, demandingness and a solution-oriented approach. Trust must be built right from the very beginning of the project. High standards are also a matter of care and a key part of the project's success," he emphasizes.
According to Karppinen, another important aspect is engaging end users.
"We had a lot of discussions with them and the school principal was actively involved the whole time. That way, their thoughts and wishes were heard throughout the project and they got the feeling that things had been decided together and the school was finally what they wanted."
The construction industry is in transition, human skills are key
According to Karppinen, the construction industry has changed significantly with digitalization, occupational safety and responsibility. However, in the future, the most important competence will be related to people.
“Leading people will be the most important skill in the future. You can’t manage things without people,” he emphasizes. He also sees the importance of collaboration and negotiation skills growing even more. Karppinen will next move to the position of project manager, where his role will expand from individual projects to supporting others.
“I want to share my own expertise, in the same way that I received good mentoring from, for example, Pauli Honkasalo of Hartela, who was chosen as the champion of the year in 2002,” he recalls gratefully.
The Master of the Year award has been awarded since 1982. The annual award is based on significant achievements in construction. The aim is to highlight the importance of construction site management.
More information
Construction Office Laamo Ltd, CEO Ari Silvola, tel. +358 50 514 6484 or ari.silvola@laamo.fi
Finnish Building Industry Association, Southwest Finland District, Regional Manager Katja Suovo, tel. 041 536 1300 or katja.suovo@rt.fi