Having fun and competing for professional skills at Tapojärvi’s Family Day

Tapojärvi organized a day event for its employees at the end of August, to which the whole family was invited, in addition to the employees. More than 500 people participated in the day, the youngest of whom were only 2 months old and the oldest over 80 years old.

To the delight of children and other family members, the family day included, among other things, bouncing castles, power competitions, balloon man and many other fun things to do, not forgetting the driving simulation competition open to all family members. Of course, there were also all kinds of delicacies: hamburgers and hot dogs from JJ’s Barbeque’s street kitchen, and for dessert popcorn, cotton candy and ice cream.

The main program of the day was a skills competition, where Tapojärvi employees measured themselves against each other in different races. The main prize for each race was a trip to Malaga. One of the program numbers of the trip is to visit Caterpillar’s demonstration and training center. Performances were seen in five different races: wheel machine, truck, pick-up, excavator and tire change. The public was able to watch the race on LED screens, and the ever-lovely announcer Jarkko Ylläsjärvi was the narrator of the race. The tasks were challenging, but the drivers who accepted the challenge were also skilled.

“It was a pleasure to notice that the competitors took the competition seriously. You could see that clearly in the cockpit during the performance,” said Tapojärvi Oy’s operational manager Martti Kaikkonen.

The winner of the truck competition was a woman who has been driving a stone truck at the Elijärvi location for 3.5 years. Pirita Pakanen has previously also driven a truck and an excavator, so when she signed up she already believed that she would at least not be the last.

“When I was excited for the competition, I thought, what if I win? Do I dare to go on stage in front of the cameras, when I’m not used to that at all? But then when the announcer said my name, it felt sweet,” Pakanen described her feelings.

“I’ve never been on a trip abroad before and I’m a bit afraid of airplanes, but surely I can handle the prize once I’m the winner. After all, winning is the most important thing here,” Pakanen grins.

See a summary of the atmosphere of Family Day 2022: