Nov 19, 2024

Announced at the recent EY Gala in Helsinki on November 8th, Axopar Boats and its Founding Partner, Jan-Erik Viitala, have been honoured as winners of the prestigious ‘EY Entrepreneur of The Year’ award in Finland.

Organised by the global business management and consultancy firm, EY, the competition is an annual event in its 25th successive year for entrepreneurs in over 75 countries and territories around the world.

The award win celebrates not only Jan-Erik Viitala’s unique vision and outstanding entrepreneurial achievements, but it also recognises the dedication and commitment of all Axopar staff since the company was founded in 2014.

With an independent jury made up of senior representatives from diverse international industries, candidates were evaluated on criteria such as strong values, exemplary leadership, business strategy and acumen.

Pitted against ten finalists drawn from an original pool of 53 growth companies who entered, Axopar’s strategic differentiation and growth-oriented approach stood out in a highly competitive field, underscoring the company’s substantial impact in the boating industry, both domestically and internationally.

Summarising the win for Jan-Erik and Axopar, Leena Niemistö, chairperson of the jury, said: 
“Warm congratulations to Jan-Erik Viitala and Axopar Boats Oy for winning the competition. The winning company convinced us with its clear market strategy and innovative product development solutions, as well as the entrepreneur’s passion for the industry. The company’s strong financial figures and ability to stand out made it this year’s winner.” 
 
Graciously accepting the award at the black-tie event on behalf of Axopar, Jan-Erik Viitala, said: 
“In this our special 10th Anniversary Year, this fitting tribute reflects the dedication and achievements of the entire company, which has come so far in such a short space of time. Since 2014, Axopar has grown into one of Europe’s largest boat manufacturers, producing versatile, multifunctional outboard boats tailored to meet diverse customer needs, and our journey to receive this honour is testament to our commitment to pushing boundaries in design, functionality, and market strategy.”
 
“This win is a milestone for the company as it continues to innovate and expand its reach globally and we’ve lots more unique surprises and innovations in store, so watch this space as we introduce even more people into boating in 2025 than ever before.”

The award is the latest in a string of product design and customer satisfaction awards for Axopar since the company started and Jan-Erik now has the honour of representing Finland in the ‘EY World Entrepreneur of The Year World Championship’ in June next year.

For further information visit www.axopar.com  and www.ey.com