"We tried hard and I think we even succeeded"
Shooting and hunting have interested Mikko Vuorela for 35 years. The object of interest later became a profession, and now Mikko has been running a gun shop in Ylistaro for over 20 years.
When Mikko was of school age and there was no permission from home to buy an air rifle, he secretly acquired a hunting license at the age of 15.
- I slapped the hunting card on the table and said that now you have to get a shotgun. Then my mother went to get a shotgun and I got permission for it, says Mikko.
Mikko founded the M. Vuorelan gun shop in 2000. The previous year he graduated from Ikaalisten Aseseppäopisto. The armory was initially located in the same premises as Vuorela rauta, which was a company founded by Mikon Paapa in 1945. Mikko's father started running Vuorela iron in 1975 and Mikko joined in 2004.
- At first, the companies were their own, but during the generational change, Asepajaja became an auxiliary business name, so that there was only one business ID.
- This current gun store is very close to what I once thought I could have. At first, there was only a lathe and milling machine and some gun oil for sale.
New possibilities with the extension
The long journey to the gun store took place through Vuorela's iron hall. Mikko calculates that there was a total of 9 square meters of floor space for him and the customers. The need for additional space was dire.
In 2015, a shop space was built on the side of the hall. According to Mikko, with the expansion Asepaja M. Vuorela entered a completely new page.
The expansion has enabled everything that was not possible to do in the old premises. In the same rush, the company received, for example, the status of First class store of the Sako chain. Mikko says that it was a big deal because it is a big brand with good products.
- With the expansion came a huge amount of space and with it also came maintenance authorized by the importer of Feinwerkbau racing weapons, where the spare parts are imported from Germany. It is the biggest brand on the Finnish market, says Mikko.
- A few others do maintenance in Finland, but compressed air-powered racing tricks require a lot of know-how and experience. Parts can be replaced more easily, but adjustment is more demanding, as the gun must be very precise.
In Miko's opinion, the end result of the expansion as a whole is really good, and we cannot do more with the existing resources. The opportunities brought by the expansion can also be seen in the turnover, which has doubled over the years. The working hours have also doubled, and there are no working days of less than 12 hours. Miko's wife also works in the company. It's busy all year round, but the peak season is from July until the start of elk hunting, which starts in mid-October. There isn't much time to take a vacation, but in the winter there is a hunting trip somewhere further away.
Pandemic years
At first, Corona had no effect on sales, although there were perhaps a little fewer customers. Later, sales only increased, so there was no need to apply for necessary corona subsidies in many sectors.
In 2021, prices rose many times and availability problems also appeared.
- Nothing excites me anymore. I've walked such a rocky road and I've been bitten when I've thought about where to find the money. However, they have always been found.
- We operate in many areas and even if there is no sale of new products one day, there is still a need for maintenance and repairs of weapons and there is always a queue of jobs.
Liiveri granted support for the extension, which, according to Miko, made it a lot easier to do. Applying for support was familiar, as support has previously been granted to the multi-purpose hydraulic press on the Vuorela Rauda side. According to Mikko, the machine should have been acquired earlier, because it modernized the operation, when, for example, tool changes are easier compared to the old ones. Without the support, I probably wouldn't have had the courage or patience to get the machine.
Vuorela Rauda still has a machine with the year 1881 in everyday use.
-Once someone asked if there was a railway on the side of the hall, because the plane makes such a loud noise. It's completely useless for the job it's being done with.