
A family of entrepreneurs working together
- Vesa Salminen, the son of a fisherman from Pyhämaa, became a bricklayer and fireplace innovator whose work has spread awareness of clean wood burning from Uusikaupunki across Finland. Today, Kaisa Tuominen leads Warma-Uunit, the company her father founded, as well as Finland’s only tile factory.
– Can I light it?
Eight-year-old Ilmari politely asks his mother, Kaisa Tuominen, the CEO of Warma-Uunit, as she prepares to light a fire in the tiled stove in their living room. Ilmari is excited—he has just been practicing fire-making and wood carving in scouts.
Kaisa grants permission and quickly fetches the matches. The dry firewood is arranged in a low horizontal stack, with the smallest pieces on top. Five-year-old Iida and their mother watch intently as Ilmari strikes the match, and the fire catches immediately. Soon, the flames are roaring behind the glass. For Ilmari, this moment is significant—it’s the first time he’s been allowed to take on this task, even though he comes from a family of fireplace manufacturers.
For 30 years, Warma-Uunit Oy and its predecessor, V-S Muuraus, have provided jobs and livelihoods not only for their own family but also for many residents in the Uusikaupunki area.
-That’s a good draft in the fireplace! Where did you get it? jokes Vesa Salminen, who has just arrived and is teasing his daughter.
The leadership of Warma-Uunit transferred from Vesa to Kaisa a couple of years ago. She now lives with her family of four in a peaceful, nature-rich residential area about five kilometers from Uusikaupunki’s town square.
Kaisa’s parents have come from Pyhämaa’s island village for the interview. That’s where their home is, and where Vesa and the entire family business have their roots.
It all started when a fisherman’s son, on a whim, decided to take a bricklaying course with his brother. The two brothers became well-known for their masonry skills, and soon Vesa Salminen’s phone started ringing more and more frequently.
-There was no shortage of masonry work—until the recession of the 1990s, when public construction came to a halt, Vesa recalls.
A hard worker by nature, Vesa didn’t sit idle. Instead, he founded V-S Muuraus, the predecessor of Warma-Uunit Oy. At that time, Kaisa had no intention of following in her father’s footsteps.
-Not there, at least, she admits, referring to her thoughts about the family business.
Vesa, too, thought his daughter’s future would lie elsewhere. But then, in 2005, V-S Muuraus established its own tile factory, where fireplace tiles are handcrafted. That was when Kaisa, who had graduated as a business administration professional, found her passion for the field.
-I really became interested in ceramics. I started making clay cups in my free time and decided to apply—and got accepted—to ceramic design studies in Hämeenlinna, Kaisa explains.
Now, father and daughter have worked together for over 20 years, and it’s been a successful collaboration.
A key figure in the company is also Kirsti, who, according to Vesa, has played a crucial role from the very beginning. She was responsible for the company’s financial matters until just recently.
-A competent successor has now taken over that role, Kirsti says.
When asked to describe each other, Kaisa and Vesa don’t hesitate.
-Innovative and full of ideas, Kaisa says of her father.
-An artistic soul who values aesthetics, Vesa describes his daughter. To this, Kaisa quips, Well, you’re not bad at that either!
Both value their open and direct communication. If something is on their mind, they don’t beat around the bush—they just say it.
For Vesa, environmentally friendly wood-burning techniques are a matter of pride. He has gathered extensive research on the topic and has traveled across Finland, giving lectures not only to ordinary fireplace users but also to environmental and health professionals.
His “Wood Saver” burning courses became unexpectedly popular, revealing that properly lighting a fireplace is far from being a common skill. The courses also earned the appreciation of environmental advocates, culminating in Vesa receiving the Varsinais-Suomi Eco-Action Award.
Now, the development director has innovated a solar-powered fireplace equipped with an electric heating element. The project has been developed in collaboration with the University of Eastern Finland.
-The new type of fireplace stores energy from solar panels and is an excellent option for holiday homeowners, allowing them to arrive at a pre-warmed cottage. And now, solar panels won’t just sit unused on the roof anymore!
For the Salminen and Tuominen families, home, family, and their hometown are core values. Kirsti is originally from Rauma, but Vesa and Kaisa have spent little time living elsewhere.
Kaisa fondly remembers her childhood in Pyhämaa and appreciates the frugality and life lessons her parents instilled in her.
-Our basic needs were always met, but if I wanted high heels or candy, I had to earn them myself, she recalls.
Work is a way of life for the family, but as a mother, Kaisa sets boundaries.
-I have to pick up my child from daycare at four o’clock—that’s non-negotiable, she says.
The family doesn’t overload themselves with hobbies—one good one is enough for now. That hobby is scouting, where Kaisa is also involved as a leader.
For Kaisa, it’s important that Ilmari and Iida can genuinely choose their own future paths.
-I was given that freedom, too. And even though I once thought differently, here I am now, smiles Kaisa, the CEO of Warma-Uunit since 2022, content with her journey.