The story of Ruoto
How did it all start?
Joonas's passion for the fishing and hunting equipment business began during his first summer job in 2003. At the time, 14-year-old Joonas, originally from Rauma, began his career as a salesperson at a local specialty store in the field.
Joonas continued working in this fishing and hunting store alongside high school and the army until 2009, after which he moved to study mechanical engineering at Aalto University in Espoo. While studying, he managed his then employer's fly fishing webshop for a couple of years. Inspired by this, Joonas saw a market opportunity and established the first Ruoto store in Helsinki's Viikki in January 2013. This small, but feisty fly fishing store opened its doors.
Right in Ruoto's first autumn, a traditional Helsinki fishing store named Tyrskytaimen announced it was closing its business. Ruoto ended up purchasing Tyrskytaimen's remaining inventory and operated two stores in Helsinki throughout 2014.
Studies were left behind and the business grew year by year. The selection expanded to include not only fly fishing but also other forms of recreational fishing. From the beginning, the store was complemented by the ruoto.fi online store.
Moving to bigger premises
In 2015, Ruoto moved to larger premises in Helsinki. A suitable location was found again in Viikki, this time on Hernepellonkuja. Joining the same premises were fishing guide Mika "Haukikoira" Vornanen and Lund Boats Finland Oy, which imports American fishing boats.
Together with its partners, Ruoto spread the joy of sport fishing, and the selection expanded month by month. Alongside the store operation, pike fishing courses with fishing kayaks and float tubes were organized, as well as fly tying evenings and themed weekends that were a familiar sight at Ruoto.
Specialty goods were sought from around the world. Ruoto collaborated with several Nordic artisan lure manufacturers and also imported other fishing-related products. For instance, Abel's specially painted fly reels gained great popularity, and at the same time, the most imaginative fly tying materials were brought in from the US to Finland. While operating in Viikki, Ruoto also began importing certain products directly from Asian factories. This enabled competitive pricing against large supermarkets in the battle for market share.
Later that same year, Joonas also gained new business partners. Plans for a new Ruoto Mega Store concept were developed, and business was driven forward with determination toward that goal. In 2017, Ruoto also established a fishing specialty store in Tampere. This helped explore a new market area and assess the potential for a Ruoto Mega Store in the Tampere region.
Ruoto Mega Stores
The hard work paid off, and in early 2018, Ruoto moved its Helsinki store to a location five times larger at the border of Tuusula and Vantaa, near major highways. Thus, the first Ruoto Mega Store was ready to be opened, and its inauguration was successfully celebrated on March 10, 2018.
Between 2018 and 2020, the selection expanded significantly to also include boating and hunting products. Efforts in both areas increased, and Ruoto grew to become one of Finland's largest retailers in marine electronics and hunting products. The Ruoto Mega Store soon became known as the number one store in the field among active enthusiasts around the capital region.
With the Ruoto Mega Store concept proven, it was time to adapt Tampere's small shop to match the Tuusula store. The inauguration of the Ruoto Mega Store in Tampere was celebrated on March 1, 2021, and it was warmly received by local enthusiasts. There was clearly a demand for a large fishing and hunting store in the Tampere area, as the year 2021 turned out to be a success for both the Tuusula and Tampere stores.
Inspired by good customer feedback and profitable business, Ruoto quickly began preparations for opening a third store. Consequently, the Ruoto Mega Store in Kaarina opened its doors in February 2022.
The Ruoto Mega Store concept was also well received in Kaarina, and in November 2022, a fourth Mega Store was opened in Oulu to serve the fishing and hunting enthusiasts of northern Finland.
Seeing potential and demand for a wide-range fishing and hunting supply store in Northern Savonia, plans became reality when at the turn of the year 2022-2023, Ruoto acquired the popular Kuopio-based fishing supply store Samfishing and the Iisalmi-based store specializing in hunting gear, Northern Savonia Nature Equipment. With the skilled and committed staff of these two stores, along with a few new local experts, a new Ruoto Super Store opened in Kuopio in spring 2023. The Iisalmi store was updated in its selection and continued operating as Ruoto Store Iisalmi.
Encouraged by positive customer feedback and successful results, the Ruoto Mega Store concept was also implemented to serve enthusiasts in Western Uusimaa, and a new Ruoto Mega Store in Espoo Suomenoja, conveniently located along good transport routes, opened its doors in May 2023. This approximately 1000 square meter store complex opened with a new team of seasoned professionals.
Ruoto's operation today
Although Ruoto has grown from a small shop to a major player in the industry over the last ten years, the basic principles of operation remain the same. Ruoto focuses on customer service, and its skilled staff is the foundation of its operations. Therefore, the staff consists of true industry experts, including members of the shotgun national team, a world champion in fly tying, and many other competitive fishermen or shooters. Each member of Ruoto is a passionate enthusiast in their field.
Alongside customer service, respect for nature and responsible operations are paramount. Ruoto favors responsible producers in its product selection and strives to minimize its environmental impact with its operations. The product range is also designed considering the sustainability of fish and game stocks for future generations.
Ruoto Oy is wholly owned by Ruoto Invest Oy. Ruoto Invest Oy is owned by Joonas Oksanen, the original founder and CEO of Ruoto, as well as CFO Kari Rantamäki and a group of Finnish private investors. The Ruoto board consists of skilled individuals with extensive experience in various businesses and growth companies. The goal is to develop Ruoto both profitably and responsibly towards a comprehensive and well-serving store network and the best online store in the Nordics.
