Finnish Athletics Federation and Etteplan team up – Etteplan to help cultivate the track & field stars of tomorrow

Etteplan, Web Release, March 14, 2022 at 9.10 am EET

For the first time in its history, Finnish growth company Etteplan is launching an official sports sponsorship collaboration through a three-year partnership with the Finnish Athletics Federation. At the heart of the partnership is enabling the development of youth athletes, but also supporting the well-being and physical activity of Etteplan’s own staff. The ambassador of the partnership is a 22-year-old technology student and last year’s 400-meter Finnish hurdles champion Nea Mattila.

Etteplan is an expert Finnish company that helps its customers grow through technology, innovation and digitalization while also growing itself. Etteplan was established in 1983, which is also when the inaugural World Championships in Athletics were held in Finland. To boost its growth and to celebrate the company’s five decades of operations, Etteplan is embarking on a long-term collaboration with the Finnish Athletics Federation.

Etteplan’s CEO Juha Näkki sees supporting the youth sport as a contribution to the future. “At the last Winter Olympics, we saw sporting success’ energizing power for our entire community. Success comes through long-term work and growth — that's why we want to be enabling these experiences for our employees, the public as well as young athletes in the future. The cooperation will also support the well-being of our own staff and encourages movement.”

In this partnership, Etteplan is taking a future track & field star under its wing. That star is Nea Mattila , a Finnish 400-meter hurdles champion who is in her second year of technology studies at Aalto University in Otaniemi. Nea and Etteplan have both set a goal for 2024: For Nea, it is the Paris Olympics and for Etteplan, the revenue of 500 million euros.

To Nea Mattila, this collaboration is a unique opportunity as a professional athlete. “I was really happy to learn that Etteplan was looking for a young athlete studying the technical field for this collaboration. Mentally, this means immense support for me, even for the opportunities for my professional career after my athletics one. This is exactly the moment when an athlete like me needs the most support in their career as I am moving into the adult series.”

The collaboration between the Finnish Athletics Federation and Etteplan will be evident to Etteplan’s employees and stakeholders mainly in the form of interesting track & field-themed content, and as a partnership in an annual spectator favorite – the Finland vs. Sweden Athletics Meet at the Helsinki Olympic Stadium. The internal activation project that supports the well-being and physical activity of Etteplan’s employees will also gain new content thanks to the partnership. 

Jari Töykkä , Managing Director of the Finnish Sports Federation’s marketing company Track & Field Finland, values Etteplan’s point of view in the partnership:

“We have been looking for a growth company like Etteplan that is interested in starting up support for the sport for some time now. With our passion for track & field, together we can promote the well-being of employees, build a positive employer image and awareness, while at the same time enabling the athletic growth of young emerging track & field stars. We warmly welcome Etteplan to the track & field family!”

For further information:
Etteplan:
Outi Torniainen, Senior Vice President, Marketing and Communications, tel. +358 40 512 1375 outi.torniainen@etteplan.com
Finnish Athletics Federation:
Track & Field Finland Oy / Managing Director Jari Töykkä, tel. 040 55 33 996, jari.toykka@sul.fi 

Finnish Athletics Federation (SUL) in brief

The Finnish Athletics Federation (SUL) is the national sport federation for athletics and a member of the World Athletics (WA). SUL has operated as an independent national sport association as of 1931. Previously it served as the sports division of the Finnish National Sports Federation, founded in 1906.

The purpose of SUL's activities is to lead, inspire and support quality and prestigious athletics activities close to enthusiasts, and to grow internationally successful track & field athletes. The values that govern the activities of the SUL are boldly reforming, transparent actions and jointly succeeding. https://www.yleisurheilu.fi/in-english/