Welado and MB Funds are a match!

27.03.2023

MB Funds acquires a majority share of Welado, but in a manner that also grows the number of Welado people who have a share in the company

Welado and MB Funds are a match – together we promise to offer growth, soft values and impactfulness in specialist fields of the built environment

Welado was founded in the summer of 2017 when over 30 specialists began developing a pioneer organisation in the field of construction contracting with a human-centred touch, soft values and spirit of cooperation. The crew has grown mainly organically, and today the company employs over 300 specialists in two different countries in the ranks of Welado and STHK AB.

Together, Welado people have created tremendous growth and started a great story while they were at it: We have developed a platform for meaningful expertise with an attractive value base and created the best possible work community for our employees where people want to work and where employees are comfortable. We have reached the position of market leader in infrastructure development where we have the privilege of creating solutions for the built environment together with our customers with a boldly open attitude and ironclad expertise. Furthermore, today Welado people are also enabling customer success in the growing fields of industry, energy and property development. Welado has been building a trailblazer organisation in the construction sector that challenges the entire industry to come together and operate in better and more humane and productive ways.

However, Welado’s story is still in its early chapters, and the people of Welado absolutely have more to offer to the construction sector, modern working life and humanity in general. We believe that as a company, Welado still has an even greater significance to achieve and impact to make. To reach the next milestone, we needed some extra help and broader shoulders – as well as some financial investment and backing. Therefore, we have decided to include MB Funds in the story to coach and support us in the next chapter.

Our goal is to be the most attractive platform for meaningful expertise in the Nordic countries

Until this point, Welado has been owned solely by its senior management. Development of the company is an important personal investment for everyone. The decision to partner Welado up with MB Funds was not made overnight, even though the discussions flowed smoothly and naturally.

During these discussions, both sides wanted to confirm the other side shared their values and intentions. Welado’s owners challenged the new main owner's “Weladoness”, and especially their commitment to the shared set of values.

“We have developed Welado with a big heart, and working at Welado is a personal and important matter for us. For us, this is not just a job. It was paramount to find a partner to whom Weladoness and our values were as important and self-evident success factors as they are to us. MB Funds have more than demonstrated their ability to support growth, internationalisation and development – and they were able to continuously convince us of the compatibility of our values throughout the process. We were not merely seeking a partner organisation, but humans suitable for reliable cooperation. Together with Kimmo Vanne from MB Funds, we have been able to create trust and a shared understanding of our upcoming human-centred journey of growth,” says Welado’s CEO Matti Tervonen.

We arrived at the shared conclusion that the trust exists. Therefore, at the end of the negotiations, a deal was made – a deal that humanity, meaningfulness and growth will continue to be the first adjectives that come to people’s minds when they think about Welado. And that over the next years Welado would develop into the most attractive platform for meaningful expertise not only in Finland, but in all of the Nordic countries.

Kimmo Vanne from MB Funds says: “Even when viewed from the outside, Welado’s growth story and concept were interesting and unique in relation to other operators in the sector. The more we got to know Welado and its people during the process, the more convinced we became of the passion and unwavering commitment of the company’s management and staff to Weladoness and our shared values. These are the factors upon which we mean to continue to build the company's competitive advantage also in the future.”

What can you expect from us – together – going forward?

MB Funds acquires a majority share of Welado, but in a manner that also grows the number of Welado people who have a share in the company

In the future, Welado will continue to be the same operator, known for openness, cooperation, staff well-being and tremendous expertise, only with a more extensive market area. We continue to be that different solution provider in the construction sector where happy specialists produce the most high-quality solutions for their customers. And in the future, together with our customers and partner network, we will continue to change the world by developing safe and sustainable living environments for the coming generations.

We will continue to focus our efforts in developing an attractive platform; in growing a modern, agile, non-hierarchical and value-based organisation through the potential and meaningful expertise of each and every individual. As an employer, Welado is already a trailblazer, but responsible solutions will only become more highlighted in the future from the perspectives of both service offering and organisational development. So, Welado is and will continue to be a pioneer in its field that stands out from its competitors through its different operating model.

We will continue onwards with a value-based growth strategy in which all means of growth are genuinely utilised in a wide variety of ways. At Welado, growth is generated when people find their passions and new service sectors are born organically. We are an attractive operator and the best people in their respective fields seek employment with us. We are also attractive to new key persons when new business operations are considered. Furthermore, the growth palette continues to include strategic and value-based company acquisitions in both Finland and the Nordic countries.

The development of international business operations will receive an additional boost in this configuration. Our success indicators can already be found in Welado’s strategy sphere:

When considering economic indicators, we are still seeking annual revenue growth of over 20 %, and a business profit level of 10 %. These form a healthy financial basis for growth.

Staff well-being is a crucial indicator for us that measures the functionality and attractiveness of our platform to our own people. We continue to seek the ambitious eNPS score of over 60.

Customer experience should be better than 4/5 in relation to projects, which ensures that the added value Welado provides is also felt by our customers.

Additionally, an annually changing goal is selected together for each strategy period to guide the company’s focus on the near term. This year's goal is Nordic cooperation between Welado and STHK colleagues.

Operative management will continue to steer the ship, and there are no upcoming changes to the company’s operations. First and foremost, MB Funds brings help and support to an already functioning concept. The involvement of MB Funds brings opportunities to Welado people: We want to give more and more people the opportunity to own a part of the company, and a share of the ownership has been left open to all staff members. On the other hand, some leeway will be left in the ownership with future key persons in mind.

Matti Tervonen from Welado and Kimmo Vanne from MB Funds are happy to provide more information on this topic.