Hannu Yli-Rahko, Forest Specialist

As a forest specialist, Hannu Yli-Rahko offers his forestry expertise to forest owners. Satisfied customers, interesting duties and the good atmosphere in Wood Supply have motivated Hannu for more than 40 years.

“Nothing is as rewarding as a satisfied customer! Customers thank us for our expertise and our service mentality – and that’s something that feels really motivating. My supervisor has suggested job rotation, but I’ve never even considered doing anything else. Customer service is definitely my kind of work!”

First-rate service

Hannu never had second thoughts about his career – when he was 10, he already knew he wanted to be a “forest ranger”. Strong ties to the forest and a childhood dream led Hannu to first study forestry engineering and then make a career, starting in purchasing services and advancing to the position of forest specialist in Metsä Group’s Wood Supply.

“My day usually starts with office work, after which I take care of customer contacts, and visit customers and the field. During the visits, I make plans concerning forest management and harvesting measures, including the resulting yields and costs. I deal with each customer as an individual and listen to their needs. This work is very free and informal. We schedule our work independently,” Hannu explains.

Customers thank us for our expertise and our service mentality – and that’s something that feels really motivating.

Hannu underlines the importance of creating a relationship of trust with customers – customers need to know that agreements and promises will be carried out.

“The spirit in Wood Supply is excellent, even though the team consists of very different individuals. Our workplace community includes forest specialists, logistics workers and forest management operators. Information must flow smoothly within the company and to customers, which is why we’re constantly calling and messaging each other. The contribution of each individual is equally important to the value chain,” says Hannu.

Renewing forest services

According to Hannu, the duties of forest specialists have evolved over the last 40 years, from wood purchases to comprehensive services for forest owners. He is proud to have been involved in developing member services. In Hannu’s opinion, cooperative ownership is a clear competitive advantage for Metsä Group.

“Forest owners have all kinds of questions, and it’s our duty to give advice and help them increase the value of their forest assets. Metsä offers excellent opportunities for training. I myself have attended all kinds of courses over the past decades. I also keep up my forest-related competence by reading publications in the field like the magazine for machine contractors. Being Finnish is a big advantage to us – we’re present in the same place as the customer,” Hannu says.

The relationship between a forest specialist and forest owner has also changed over the years, with things now increasingly handled digitally.

The digitalisation of wood trade has been one of the best improvements in recent years.

“This renewal has also involved the introduction of digital services like the Metsäverkko service. The digitalisation of wood trade has been one of the best improvements in recent years. Customers have also been pleased with the trend. Amidst all the renewal, our relationship with nature remains the same as always – we value and appreciate the forest and always handle it sustainably,” Hannu says.