Originally from St. Petersburg, Markus moved to Vaasa in 2004 to study at Hanken. At the age of 15, he founded his first company in website design and was the youngest person registered in the Trade Register at the time. This is how he describes his transition from IT to flooring:
– I was working in a flooring company during the summer and I had the idea to sell flooring online – something that didn’t exist at the time. I founded Novafloor in 2007 and at the same time the first online store specialising in flooring in Finland.
Oak as the basis for everything
Initially, the company was a distributor of other manufacturers’ products, but in 2009 it started its own production in Vaskiluoto, Vaasa. The focus is on high-quality oak parquet.
– Oak is a superior material. We import the planks ourselves, and the brushing and tinting with hardwood oil is done here. All floors are made to order, and each plank is hand-picked based on the shade chosen by the customer,” says Markus.
Today, the company has 20 employees and showrooms in four Finnish cities and Malmö, Sweden. The company is also active in other Nordic and European countries with its latest product – vinyl flooring, developed on the basis of the company’s own parquet flooring.
Vinyl challenges laminate
– Laminate flooring is a declining product with the development of vinyl flooring, which is why we are investing in it. We spent a year developing this concept, and the first floors went on sale in April,” says Markus.
The company has consistently dared to go outside the box, and the new vinyl flooring has been very well received. They are available in five different series, with wide, large planks and authentic wood patterns copied directly from the company’s parquet floors.
– The advantage of vinyl over laminate is that it is water-resistant, and it is also suitable for cold spaces such as summer cottages. It also feels warmer and quieter than laminate. We have several large projects underway, as vinyl is also well suited for public spaces,” Markus adds.
Language skills opened doors
The raw materials come largely from German factories, which Markus says are of very high quality. A year-long exchange student year in Germany during high school gave him a fluent command of German, which has been of great benefit at work.
– When Germans discover that I speak their mother tongue fluently, a whole new world opens up. Its importance in building relationships and trust cannot be underestimated,” he says.
His language skills were also useful when he was appointed Honorary Consul of Austria in Vaasa, a position he has held since 2018.
– This is an honorary assignment under the auspices of the Austrian Embassy in Helsinki.
A volunteer-based mission
An honorary consul represents your country without the status of a professional diplomat. The role is often voluntary, alongside other activities, and involves helping citizens of the country in question who are in the territory, for example in emergencies, passport or administrative matters.
Honorary consuls do not usually have full consular powers, such as issuing visas or passports, which suits Markus well. The role is often chosen for people who are well-connected locally and who want to strengthen relations between countries.
– One of the factors that influenced my choice was certainly the fact that Novafloor has suppliers in Austria,” he adds.
A devastating fire
In a couple of years, the company will celebrate its 20th anniversary, but it has not been a smooth journey. In January 2022, Novafloor suffered a serious fire that caused a production stoppage that lasted a year and a half.
– An electrical fault caused a fire that destroyed the entire interior and part of the roof structure, forcing us to remove 30 metres of concrete beams. Thanks to comprehensive insurance, no one had to be laid off or dismissed, and customers whose floors were destroyed were reimbursed. Some customers even waited a year and a half for their new floor to be completed,” says Markus.
The insurance also covered lost sales, allowing energy to be fully focused on reconstruction.
Interested in Scandinavian design
After the fire and a few quiet years in the construction industry, Markus looks to the future with the aim of making Novafloor the leader in the Scandinavian vinyl flooring market and expanding exports to Europe.
– Scandinavian design has always been appreciated around the world. We are quick to follow trends and offer exactly what our customers want. Natural, light shades are currently popular. White and cold grey floors are now out of fashion,” says Markus.
He himself lives happily in Sulva with his wife Johanna and a couple of children aged 9 and 12.
