We want to co-create value by serving our customers. Thanks to our development during the past year, we have been able to serve our customers even better.
We have shifted our focus more towards people, and our aim is to create a phenomenon that connects people better to construction and the urban environment. We believe that the best way to build a smarter society is through smarter interaction between people.
Fira is a growth company that is modernising the construction industry, building cities together with people and creating new business opportunities.
Fira Group grew and developed profitably over the financial year. Net sales increased by 24 percent to EUR 168.5 million (from EUR 135.8 million) over financial year 2016. The net sales of the construction business unit increased by 30 percent to EUR 139 million (from EUR 106.9 million). Net sales of the plumbing renovations business unit increased by 1 percent to EUR 29.2 million (from EUR 29.0 million). Fira Group profit grew to EUR 4 million (3,1) and profit of the construction business nearly doubled to EUR 5,4 million (2,8).
Future-oriented partnerships, further developing our management system and successfully developed projects were the key themes within Fira’s construction activities in the year 2016.
The past year was eventful for Fira Palvelut. The development of operations proceeded swiftly during the year, and much attention was paid to plumbing renovations also at the societal level.
The purpose of start-up companies originating in the Fira Starters programme is to innovate, create and commercialize new services relying heavily on digitalisation. We believe that through these services it will be possible to create platform business models which enable better interaction between people.
Fira’s values are caring, transparency and trust. Open-mindedness and change can flourish only in a culture where people are trusted and listened to. Building trust is the most sustainable way of developing our business for the future. Trust is created by acting transparently and caring for the needs of our customers and co-workers.
Strong growth requires continuously recruiting new talent. In conjunction with this, Fira surveyed the views of the company’s management and employees of Fira as an employer.
With help of the management training programme launched in 2016, Fira wants to introduce a new kind of people-centric leadership style to the building industry.
Maria Snäkin, Fira Group’s new customer experience director, intends to make customer experience development more systematic.
Elisa’s head office in Pasila, Helsinki, comprises two buildings, seven floors, 1,500 employees and approximately 17,000 square metres of floor area. Fira worked as the main contractor when the entire office was converted from a multi-purpose office into a working environment following the Elisa Ideal Work concept.
Fira Palvelut implemented a plumbing renovation project that became the country’s best-known renovation project. A housing company in Roihuvuori, Helsinki, was renovated as a pilot project so that the habitability inconvenience caused to the residents was only two weeks.
Fira Hive is one of the companies chosen to take part in Fira’s startup programme launched in 2016. Late last year, it launched the Village web service with the core idea of finding suitable roommates for those interested in co-living.