Helsinki wants to be an attractive city with a vibrant urban and food culture. In order to achieve this goal, Helsinki is combining the operations of the Wholesale Market and Helsingin Leijona Oy in a new company, Helsinki City Premises Ltd. The merger makes it possible to form a more effective entity that will better promote the city’s goals. Peggy Bauer will start as CEO of the new company at the beginning of 2022.
“Peggy Bauer has been steering the development of the Torikorttelit area and the vitality of the city centre since 2012. Most recently, she has served as Area and Commercial Director of Torikorttelit and has made an impression with her vision and ability to promote the city’s vitality,” says Hannu Oskala, Chairman of the Board of Helsinki City Premises Ltd.
“Our goal is to use the strengths of both the Wholesale Market and Torikorttelit even more efficiently and to develop the operations taking into account the special characteristics of both. I am looking forward to helping make Helsinki an increasingly attractive and wonderful city,” says Peggy Bauer.
The operations of the Wholesale Market comprise, for example, the Teurastamo food hub, market halls and markets, the Sörnäinen wholesale area, the Vihertukkutori greens market, the old Pakastamo freezing plant and small markets and squares with sales activities. Helsingin Leijona Oy has been responsible for the operations of the Torikorttelit area in Helsinki city centre.
Peggy Bauer.
New company to enliven Torikorttelit and Wholesale Market area
The aim of the new company is to increase Helsinki’s profile as an increasingly vibrant and competitive city by enlivening the area of Torikorttelit and the Wholesale Market. In addition, the company will contribute to the development of Helsinki’s urban and food culture, as well as its market and market hall operations.
“What makes a city fun and unique happens when people come together. Our task is to enable more encounters and create more Helsinki for the city residents. The scope of the company is very wide: the city centre’s gorgeous Empire style blocks, historic market halls, the urban meeting place of Teurastamo, the Wholesale Market area which serves the whole city’s culinary culture, and other markets. The goal of Helsinki City Premises Ltd is to become bigger than the sum of its parts,” says Hannu Oskala.
In addition to traditional wholesale market operations, the Wholesale Market and Teurastamo area in Kalasatama is to be developed into a creative urban food and event centre. In addition, the company will promote the active utilisation of the city’s culturally and historically significant spaces and places.
The personnel of both Wholesale Market and Helsingin Leijona Oy will transfer to the new company as old employees. At the same time, the City of Helsinki will lease the buildings, premises and land used in the previous operations of the Wholesale Market and Helsingin Leijona Oy to the company as a whole and enter into a separate agreement with the company regarding the development task assigned to the company for the implementation of the tasks of the city division and in accordance with the business policy and urban strategy.
The operational activities of the new Helsinki City Premises Ltd will begin on 1 January 2022. Under the city’s corporate steering, the new company will fall within the mayor’s remit, similar to other subsidiaries related to the city’s vitality. The Helsinki City Council decided to restructure the operations of the Wholesale Market and Helsingin Leijona Oy and to establish the new company at its meeting on 16 June 2021.
News photo: Teurastamo is one of the most central areas managed by Helsinki City Premises Ltd. (Jussi Hellsten)