nown for wrapping, baking sheets, coffee filters and Carita cleaning cloths, Fredman offers a wide range of products for food preparation, storage, freezing and transport­ation in both domestic and professional kitchens.

Many of Fredman’s products are disposable. It has a special responsibility to conserve natural resources.

“Our products can extend the shelf life of foodstuffs and reduce waste. Without these products, other natural resources, such as water, would be consumed significantly more,” says Sara Hokkanen, Head of Sustain­ability.

Today, a large proportion of Fredman’s products are recyclable or made from renewable raw materials. Plastic still has a place in food packaging, although the majority of plastic is already being replaced by recyclable cardboard.

“Whether the raw material is plastic or cardboard, it must be recycled,” Hokkanen emphasises.

Eye on the supply chain

Fredman has worked, for example, with Finnair to design dinnerware that uses recycled cardboard instead of plastic and metal.

“Our customers are increasingly aware and demand sustainable solutions from us. Sometimes you have to make compromises because of costs, for example,” says CEO Per-Henrik Hagberg.

Fredman’s goal is to become the leading manufacturer of kitchen products in the Nordic countries, both for consumers and professional kitchens.

Sustainability is a prerequisite for success – Fredman wants to grow globally, especially in the sustainable products market. It wants to prove that sustainable business can be profitable in the long term.

The company’s business already extends beyond the Nordic countries, including Germany, the United States and Australia. Exports accounted for approximately one fifth of its net sales in 2023.

“Know the impact of your business”

In 2016, Eskimo Finland changed its name to Fredman Group.

Registered in 1962 and well-known in Finland, the Eskimo trademark became obsolete at the beginning of 2020. The reason for this was the goal of internationalisation; especially in Canada and the United States, the word Eskimo can be interpreted as discriminatory.

Hokkanen, Head of Sustainability, emphasises that for Fredman, sustainability is more than just a recent trend.

“As a family business, it has been natural for the company to build its business so that it can last for future generations,” Hokkanen says.

Fredman has anticipated future sustainability regulation and has been developing its sustainability programme since 2021 to meet ESG criteria, i.e. to take social, economic and environmental responsibility into account more closely than ever before.

“Every company should know and understand how emissions from its production and other activities affect the world around them. It is also important to recognise the business opportunities that sustainability brings,” Hokkanen points out.

Sustainability as a source of pride

Sustainability is a long-term effort, not the result of haphazard decisions. The goals can change if science produces new findings. Companies must reassess their goals from time to time.

“We would make profits faster by selling cheap plastic cups, but we do not seek quick wins or want to sell products that are not sustainable,” Hagberg explains.

Fredman is proud of its sustain­ability. Hokkanen encourages others to be proud of their work and to tell the world about it, even if there is still room for improvement.

“Without adequate communication, stakeholders cannot know what the company’s sustainability goals are and where they are heading. Not everything can be done right away. The important thing is that we are going in the right direction,” Hokkanen says.

Hagberg and Hokkanen point out that no company can solve the world’s challenges alone, such as the climate crisis, but everyone must participate.

“We can only succeed together.” 

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