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International Strenght for Increasing Dinolift’s Export Sales

The Talent Explorer funding has encouraged the recruitment of the company’s first talent with an international profile.

Dinolift Oy, a passenger crane manufacturer based in Loimaa, has long made the majority of its turnover abroad. So the company wanted to strengthen its export sales organisation with an international expert.

According to Teemu Ristelä, Commercial Manager, an external expert was used in the recruitment process in order to be as broad-minded as possible. The recruitment also made use of Business Finland’s Talent Explorer funding, which supports companies’ internationalisation.

— Hiring a new employee is always a step into the unknown for both the employer and the employee. We probably would have recruited anyway, but the financial support made the decision that much easier, says Ristelä.

Just before the pandemic broke out, Dinolift hired Sven Wiese, a German national who had lived in Finland for a long time. He has a background in industrial export sales, most recently with the Irish company Instant Upright. He wanted to return to the payroll of a Finnish company.

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Sven Wiese and Teemu Ristelä at Dinolift’s premises in Loimaa

— There are all sorts of problems when you have your nationality in one country, your residence in another and your employer in a third, even though they are all in the EU, Wiese says.


Markets fascinated by Dinolift’s product


Social media was helpful in finding the right talent. Wiese and Ristelä had met earlier at a mutual customer’s event, and the duo were connected on LinkedIn. When Wiese asked if he should apply to work for Dinolift, Ristelä encouraged him.

When Wiese was offered the position of regional manager, the decision was easy. He knows the merits of Dinolift in practice, having used the company’s personal lifts himself during his career. He knew he could stand behind the product he was selling.

—In addition, Dinolift is a world-renowned company with a global footprint.

As Regional Manager, Wiese is responsible for sales, after-sales and marketing for Dinolift in Central and Southern Europe as well as Oceania, the Middle East, South and South East Asia and Africa.

According to Ristelä, his thorough knowledge of the German language and culture was one of the strengths of Wiese in the search process, as Germany is one of the company’s main export countries. In addition, they wanted to open doors for Dinolift in unknown markets such as Australia and France. Dinolift sees the internationalisation of its work community as an asset.

—An employee from a different cultural background can bring a lot to the company. Sven thinks differently than we do and challenges us to think differently about the way we do things, Ristelä sums up.

Ambitious growth targets

According to Ristelä, Wiese is Dinolift’s first recruitment with a distinctly international profile, in a company of 200 employees. The company is aiming high: Its goal is to double its €30 million turnover in the next few years. This will be reflected both in the expansion of the factory and in the additional recruitment.

—When our sales team needs its next reinforcement, it will be an international expert, possibly working for us permanently from abroad. It’s a big step, but Dinolift needs to be where the potential customers are, says Ristelä.

In the Talent Explorer fucnding he appreciates Business Finland’s flexibility: When the pandemic changed conditions around the world, Business Finland gave Dinolift an extra six months to report the results.

— I would recommend all companies aiming for international growth to consult Business Finland.

In Vantaa, Loimaa and around the world


Wiese has been with Dinolift for a year and a half now and is excited about the challenging work. He lives in Vantaa, travels a lot, and visits Dinolift in Loimaa about once a month. He is currently working to clear the travel debt caused by thepandemic, as he is able to meet clients around the world face to face again.

— On the other hand, the pandemic has also taught me a lot about necessary and unnecessary travel, for which my family is also grateful.

At Dinolift, Wiese enjoys an open working culture where teamwork and employee input are highly valued. The company has a low hierarchy and people can influence their own working environment.

In Finland, he appreciates the clean environment, the safety and the great work-life balance.

Companies in the Turku region can also get help with international recruitment from the Talent Boost experts at Turku Science Park Ltd: https://businessturku.fi/talentboost/

FACT: Talent Explorer funding

  • Business Finland’s funding tool for hiring international talent.
  • For companies looking for new markets for their product, service or business model abroad.
  • The funding is only for the cost of the expert to be hired. They must have international expertise and/or knowledge of the target market.