Jossulla Oy

What Jossulla Oy does

Jossulla Oy, doing business as Rakennus K. Karhu Oy and Rakennus Karhu Oy, is a privately held Finnish general contractor founded in 2001 by Keijo Karhu and headquartered in Seinäjoki. The company delivers building construction across three parallel tracks — public construction (schools, daycares, hospitals, government offices), commercial and industrial construction (retail, logistics, food processing, gas stations), and residential construction (housing associations, senior living, apartments) — supplemented by renovation and repair services and KVR turnkey contracts. Operations are evenly split between new construction, renovation, and repair work, with project sizes ranging from small renovations to multi-million-euro public infrastructure (the largest disclosed contract, Frami F Teknologiakeskus, was valued at €12.5M).

The company serves both public sector clients via competitive tendering under Finnish public procurement (julkinen rakentaminen) and private clients via direct commercial negotiations. Named reference customers include hospital districts (EPSHP, Vaasan Sairaanhoitopiiri), public housing foundations (HOAS), universities (TAMK), and private enterprises (Valio, DB Schenker, Lakea, Bonava). Geographic coverage spans five Finnish regions — Southern Ostrobothnia, Ostrobothnia, Pirkanmaa, Central Finland, and the Helsinki metropolitan area / Uusimaa — supported by five regional offices opened between 2005 and 2015.

Ownership is closely held by the Karhu family, with Keijo Karhu as founder and CEO (awarded the honorary 'rakennusneuvos' title in 2024) and three family members in executive roles covering HR, real estate/development, and finance. The company is not venture-backed, does not have a public listing, and discloses no revenue. Its core technology is conventional construction delivery; competitive differentiation rests on founder reputation, regional density, family continuity, and a project reference portfolio of more than 100 completed engagements since inception.

Name

Jossulla Oy

Legal name

Rakennus K. Karhu Oy

Website

https://rakennuskarhu.fi

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Jossulla Oy (DBA: Rakennus K. Karhu Oy) is a Finnish family-owned general contractor founded in 2001, delivering new construction, renovation, and turnkey projects across public, commercial, and residential sectors in five Finnish regions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Seinäjoki

HQ country

Finland

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Construction Contracting: Rakennus K. Karhu Oy generates revenue through construction contracting, primarily through competitive bidding on public and private construction projects. The company operates as a general contractor (kokonaisurakka) and turnkey contractor (kvr-kokonaisurakka) delivering new construction, renovation, and repair projects. Revenue is project-based and one-time per contract.

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Rakennus K. Karhu Oy is a Finnish general and turnkey contractor delivering building construction services. The company operates in the talonrakennus (building construction) sector, splitting work evenly between new construction (uudisrakentaminen), renovation (saneeraus) and repair construction (korjausrakentaminen). Service offerings span public construction (schools, daycares, hospitals, government offices), commercial and industrial construction (retail, logistics, food processing), and residential construction (apartments, service and senior housing), delivered via kokonaisurakka and KVR-kokonaisurakka contract models across five Finnish regional offices.

Product overview

Rakennus K. Karhu Oy operates as a construction company offering a unified portfolio of building services. The company's operations are evenly divided between new construction (uudisrakennus), renovation (saneeraus), and repair construction (korjausrakentaminen). Their service offerings span three main categories: Public Construction (julisrakentaminen) for government buildings such as schools, kindergartens, hospitals, and government offices; Industrial and Commercial Construction (liiketila- ja teollisuusrakentaminen) for retail and business facilities; and Residential Construction (asuinrakentaminen) for quality apartment buildings. They also offer KVR-turnkey contract projects. The company operates nationally across five regions in Finland: Etelä-Pohjanmaa, Pohjanmaa, Pirkanmaa, Keski-Suomi, and the Helsinki metropolitan area.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Julkinen rakentaminen — Public Construction Construction of public administration buildings including schools, kindergartens, hospitals, healthcare centers and government offices, delivered to public sector clients primarily through Finnish public procurement (julkinen rakentaminen).
• Teollisuus- ja liikerakentaminen — Industrial and Commercial Construction Construction of commercial and industrial facilities including retail spaces, logistics terminals, warehouses, food processing facilities and industrial buildings, delivered to private enterprises via direct commercial negotiations.
• Asuinrakentaminen — Residential Construction Construction of residential buildings emphasizing quality finishes, surface materials and bright spacious interiors, including apartments, housing associations, service homes and senior living facilities for housing associations and private developers.
• Korjausrakentaminen — Renovation and Repair Construction Repair and renovation construction services (saneeraus and korjausrakentaminen) delivered alongside new construction projects across public, commercial and residential sectors.
• KVR-urakkakohteet — Turnkey Construction Contracts Turnkey contract (KVR-kokonaisurakka) delivery for both small and large new construction and renovation projects, bundling design, construction and handover responsibility under a single contract.

Quantifiable outcome

• Frami F Teknologiakeskus — second-largest project — completed on schedule in November 2012. Contract value €12.5M, floor area 11,690m², volume 51,500m³.
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• NCC: One of Finland's largest construction and real estate developers, with deep public-sector and commercial project delivery. Directly comparable to Rakennus K. Karhu as a general contractor on buildings, but operating at materially larger scale and national scope.
• Skanska: Swedish-headquartered global construction firm with significant Finnish operations. Comparable as a general contractor competing for the same public and commercial tenders, but with substantially larger project scale and international footprint.
• YIT: Finland's largest construction and residential developer, active in new construction and renovation. Comparable to Karhu across residential, commercial, and public-sector building projects, though with broader services including property development.
• Peab: Swedish construction group with Finnish operations focused on building contracting, civil engineering, and residential development. Comparable to Karhu on building construction projects but operating as a much larger incumbent across the Nordics.

Direct peers

• Hartela: Finnish construction company with general contracting, residential, and commercial building operations across multiple regions. Comparable to Karhu as a mid-sized Finnish general contractor with diversified building portfolio.
• SRV: Finnish general contractor focused on new construction, renovation, and public-sector projects including healthcare and education facilities. Closely comparable to Karhu in project types and customer base, with a similar emphasis on Finnish building construction.
• Consti: Finnish renovation and building services contractor focused on renovation, repair, and technical building services. Comparable to Karhu's renovation (korjausrakentaminen) and repair segments, with similar public-sector exposure.
• Rakennusliike Reponen: Finnish mid-sized general contractor delivering residential, commercial, and public-sector buildings across multiple regions. Comparable to Karhu in scale, service offering (new construction, renovation), and reliance on competitive public procurement.
• Lujatalo: Finnish family-owned construction company operating nationally in new construction and renovation. Comparable to Karhu in ownership structure (family-controlled), service offering (general contracting, residential, commercial), and national multi-region presence.

Regional players

• Destia: Finnish infrastructure contractor specializing in heavy civil, road, and rail construction with public-sector clients. Compares to Karhu as a competing Finnish contractor for public tenders, though focused on infrastructure rather than buildings.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Rakennuskarhu
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/jossulla-oy

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Jossulla Oy