The recipe for success
Our story begins in 2021 when Valio and Heinon Tukku shake hands. Valio Aimo® is born, and a new wholesale era begins. We are now more versatile and a better partner for food industry professionals for those who appreciate quality, an in-depth understanding of customer needs and delivery reliability.
Valio and Aimo are both given names. “Aimo” means abundant and good, and “valio” and “aimo” both also mean excellence and high quality. As the name suggests, our product range overflows with abundance and quality. Through us, you will find beloved Valio products and a wide range of products from other manufacturers.
Moving forward together
From school kitchens to your local café, from Hanko to Nuorgam, from artichoke to the meal concept. Our customers are not all the same, and one solution is not suitable for everyone. And that’s positive because it allows us to be part of many distinctive and fascinating stories.
Our story may be long and well told, but we are always looking ahead. We share information, listen, learn and develop new things with our customers.
Everything from A to O
We make everyday work smoother and simpler by introducing our expertise where it is needed. For us, food isn’t just flavour, it has meaning – every order placed supports Finnish food production.
And if there is no ready-made solution, we will create one to make sure our customers succeed every day, everywhere.
Our trump card: sustainability
Our sustainability work is based on Valio’s sustainability programme, which we have supplemented with an eye on the special features of wholesale trade. Our sustainability efforts focus on three main themes: an efficient operation; sustainable sourcing; and customer support.
Hello food professional, we offer you the ingredients for success!
As a Valio Aimo customer, you get access to an extensive wholesale selection with a customer model that suits you.
Applied expertise that works for you
Innovative tools for everyday work
Meaningful Finnish origin
Own production, tailored for you
Experiences with food since 1899
With our good food professionals, we have prepared the most delicious food experiences for more than a hundred years. Over all this time, we have passed many milestones:
1899
Fritjof Heino begins his wholesale operation in Helsinki. He sells meat at the Helsinki Market Square and opens his first store in 1901.
1905
Valio is established as a butter export company. Its operations soon expand to cheese production and the improvement of dairy product quality.
1917
The Valio Laboratory is established. Towards the end of the 1910s, Artturi Ilmari Virtanen starts working at the laboratory, of which he would serve as the director from 1921 to 1970.
1920s
Fritjof Heino sells his wholesale business and several of its stores to Lihakauppiaiden Tukkuliike Oy. He is made the CEO of the company and becomes a majority shareholder.
1930s
Heino resurfaces in the next generation – Valio develops new products. The depression claims a victim in Lihakauppiaiden Tukkuliike, after which Heino continues to operate under its original name. In 1932, Helmi Heino and her children take charge together. Valio continues its product development efforts, bringing new products like Valio Koskenlaskija® to Finland’s dinner tables.
1940s
Supporting the people of Finland during the war. During the war, Valio focuses primarily on providing food for the army, then securing table milk for the cities. Heino acts fairly and distributes its stocks equally to its customers. In 1945, Valio’s A. I. Virtanen is awarded Finland’s only Nobel Prize in Chemistry.
1950s
Valio Test Kitchen is established. Valio starts producing milk powder in 1953 and in 1955, establishes the Valio Test Kitchen, which is still in operation, to instruct in its use. Industrial production of buttermilk begins, and the demand for fresh products begins to rise. However, without refrigeration, the products have a very short shelf life compared with today.
1960s
Heino opens a cash-and-carry store – Valio establishes its dairy technology laboratory. Heino establishes a cash-and-carry wholesale store in Kyläsaari and a supermarket in Konala. Refrigerators have become standard equipment in every kitchen, allowing Valio to develop new products: yogurts, soured whole milk and coffee cream.
1970s
Semi-skimmed milk and retail operations. Valio launches its first semi-skimmed milk. Recipes and advice are given new meaning as interest in lighter and healthier food begins to grow. Heinon Tukku Oy is launched in 1972 and establishes a retail chain.
1980s
New focus in the business. Heino abandons the retail business and decides to focus on serving the hotel, restaurant and catering industry. In 1987, Heino establishes a cash-and-carry store in Koivuhaka, Vantaa. Valio introduces Valio Oltermanni® cheese and HYLA® products to the market.
1990s
Establishment of the cash-and-carry store in Sörnäinen. The 1990s recession wreaks havoc on all businesses, causing more than half the restaurants in Helsinki to shut down. Heino survives the recession. The Sörnäinen cash-and-carry store opens in 1990. Heino sets up an alcohol section and sells its first alcoholic beverages on May Day 1995. Its wholesale delivery operation moves to Espoo, coupled with the establishment of a branch in Turku. Valio becomes a limited liability company in 1992.
2000s
Comprehensive network. Significant restructuring takes place at Heino, and its operations expand to Kuopio, Oulu and Tampere. In 2001, Valio introduces lactose-free milk to the market.
2010s
The path of growth continues. Heino has become a nationwide operation and opens a sales office in Seinäjoki. Valio invents ValSa® milk salt, which makes it possible to make lower-salt products.
2020s
Success stories from a shared table. On 30 June 2021, the Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority (FCCA) approves Valio Ltd’s acquisition of Heinon Tukku.
19 January 2022
Valio Aimo® is born, and the journey towards a new wholesale era begins.