New work clothes for K-food store chains' employees - E. Laiho Oy of Lohja selected as manufacturer

Kesko Food's store chains are providing their employees with new work clothes. In a bidding competition E. Laiho Oy operating in Lohja was selected as the clothes manufacturer. The signed framework agreement enables a total order for 20,500 outfits with a total value of about 2.4 million euros.

All K-food stores will utilise the same basic outfiwts which comprise pants or a skirt, and a shirt and a vest. Store chains are differentiated by chain-specific colour schemes and various accessories. Some of the K-citymarkets will introduce the new outfits this spring already, whereas the K-extras will start using them next autumn, and the K-supermarkets at the turn of next year. The K-market and K-pikkolo employees will get their new outfits at a later date. Kesko Food's discounter chain Cassa is also included in the agreement.

"The main criteria in selecting the manufacturer were practicality, user comfort, ease of care, trendiness of the clothes and accuracy of supply. Finnish quality from design to manufacture is also important for us, because now we can help the continuously contracting domestic clothes manufacturing industry and employment," says Project Manager Mauri Pylkkö of Kesko Food.

E. Laiho specialises in women's and men's light work clothes and employs 45 persons. The family-owned company has been active for over 50 years and was one of the first Finnish clothing industry companies to receive a quality certificate from the Finnish Standards Association SFS. The work clothes for the K-food store employees are designed by Anna-Kaisa Huttunen, who has won international recognition.

”This agreement is very important for us. It generates 4,600 workdays, which means that during four years we will be manufacturing work clothes for Kesko Food in a total amount of one calendar year's workdays. We are located near the customer, which is why we can deliver replenishment orders quickly and flexibly. Individual service is one of our strengths, which is important when we produce clothes for thousands of people of different ages and sizes,” says Liisa Laiho, Managing Director of E. Laiho.

Kesko Food's store chains get new work clothes every 4-5 years. This is the first combined purchase for all chains. The purpose of harmonised practices is to improve efficiency and reduce costs also in projects relating to employee safety and job satisfaction.

Further information:
Project Manager Mauri Pylkkö, Kesko Food Ltd, tel. +358 1053 22699, or
+358 500 433 332
Managing Director Liisa Laiho, E. Laiho Oy, tel. +358 400 506 238