Rita Suursalmi is an entrepreneur who will never stress

One or two snap.

To do this, a customer has put on the outerwear on this day of the interview, taken the bike from the warehouse, put on the helmet and cycled here to the Rita ribbon & button in downtown Kouvola.

And it’s not even the smallest shopping. Shop owner Rita Suursalmi know a number of people who come to the store to buy one button.

“It costs 40 cents.”

On this During a disposable culture, it is refreshing that someone bothering to work like that. For most, the buttonless sweater is likely to end up in an eternal expectation of a stack where little -defective clothes are waiting for a repairing home elf that will never come.

Suursalmi customers are not waiting for the home elf.

And that is not a young woman entering the store now Katri Terekhovaka. In fact, the opposite. He is the home elf that repairs other clothes. Terekhova is studying fashion and costume design at Southeast Finland University of Applied Sciences, and this time he has brought him to the store Ronja Robber Daughter -play.

« I design and make a living theater. »

Now the shopping list has 151 centimeters of decorative ribbon and a felting needle.

The big flower -patterned button is Rita Suurnsalmi’s favorite among all 1778 button. Picture: John Wiehn

Usually Suursalmi digs out a wood measure that looks like ancient monument and measures the required amount of tape to Terekhova.

Suursalmi wouldn’t even need to measure anymore, as after 45 years of measurement he can evaluate the dimensions quite accurately. And he also proves this. On request, he estimated a 40 centimeter ribbon with a handmade.

The result is 40 centimeters of tape.

« I probably have measured something a million times, so now it’s a pretty good feel. »

There is An outright wonder that the button shop is still upright. The center of Kouvola has made slow death since the Veturi Shopping Center was established. And even before. Some of the stores stopped when car markets rose to the middle of the field, outside the city center.

But the ribbon & button celebrates its 56th anniversary this year. It founded Pirjo Ollila. Rita Suursalmi first became an employee in 1979 and in 2000 she became an entrepreneur.

The oldest buttons in the Rita movement have been in the shop since its inception. For some reason, handmade decorative chips have not been in the mind of customers. Picture: John Wiehn

The Rita Ribbon and Nappi store has 1778 different buttons. Rita Suursalmi knows exactly as she has sewn both the price and the storage number on each button on display. Picture: John Wiehn

With just a button shop, the company has not stayed upright, but also requires the sale of ribbons, yarns and zippers. And quite a lot of their sale, as the middle shopping in the shop is between 10 and 20 euros.

« If I get a hundred, it’s a good shop. »

Not yet listed on the stock market, but:

« This is doing just fine. »

Reason This can be seen in the shop. The interview breaks a little when the customer comes to the store. About about fifty customers per day.

In addition, the rent is low, less than a thousand euros per month and includes electricity and water. Other expenses are low. It is also a good thing that the products sold are not getting old. There are a few handmade buttons in the store that are at least as old as the store.

Pia Melkko has come to Rita’s shop to buy a glued velcro: « I need 14 meters so I can attach the pavilion curtains. » Picture: John Wiehn

On the same street, many of the larger net sales have come and gone, but the ribbon & button is just squeaking.

What is the secret of trade?

« Say it. Yes it must be me! » says Suursalmi and laughs.

While shopping, you have to talk to regular customers, and if you are not in a hurry, for some, she even makes coffee. He is delighted when someone says he knits for a new grandchild and mourns when it is difficult for another.

In the shop Also laughing often. One situation still laughs at Suursalmi.

One of the Lord’s jeans had fallen in a button and asked that Suursalmi would put a new button on them. The jeans button is put in place by hitting a hammer. Usually customers take the pants off at this point, but this customer didn’t bother to bother.

It happened that the grandfather’s husband happened to come in just when Suursalmi was knocking on the button with a hammer.

“The man has a sepalus open and I have a hammer in my hand.”

After the initial confusion, the situation became clear and the pants started to shop with a satisfied customer. Because of such little things, the store will come again and again.

« Every day someone says you can’t stop. »

Originally, Rita Suursalmi trained as a welder. The work ended when the nose began to become blood when welding. He has been working in the tape and in the button for over 45 years. Picture: John Wiehn

In front However, it is. Suursalmi does not want to tell his age, « People wonder what that old mother is still spinning here, » but the retirement age has already been exceeded. At some point, the follower is forced to think seriously.

Right now, there is no « at some point », as the shop is much more than a shop for Suursalmi. Japanese would say he has found in the shop Ikigain. In free translation, this would mean that he has found the purpose of life in the shop, a reason to exist.

There was a time when the reason was really needed.

Eleven years ago, Suurnsalmi’s only child died of drugs.

« The shop was my salvation. I think without a shop I would no longer exist. »

Thing It can also be the other way around. Without Rita there would be no more trade. And he is afraid of this.

« Probably this will end after me, even if I don’t want it. »

He hopes someone will read this story and get excited. For those who are considering a career as a buttonhole, he has one good thing about the job that is starting to be quite rare in the current job.

« I’ve never been stressed about work. Personal things, but I never work. »