Faces of Levi
Levi is home to many colourful characters, united by their love of their home fells and who are genuinely happy to see visitors.
Many originally came for one season, which then stretched into several. Some have set up a year-round home in Levi, and built their lives in the fell surroundings. Others have grown up in the community and spent their entire lives in the region, still warm with fondness for the place.
Life in Levi means being close to nature and people. Work often means entrepreneurship and more specialised jobs are on offer. Levi's unique setting adds a particular flavour to any kind of work.
“It’s wonderful that in Levi we support each other and spend time together, and not just work together. We’re like a big Levi family. Levi is dear to me, but it’s not just Levi, it’s all these people. We humans made this a great place. We all like Levi and share the same mindset. It creates a warm spirit. ” Says a horse and sleddog farm owner Päivi Hiukka
Hannu Mäkitalo, slope manager, Levi Ski Resort
"My parents are from here, from the village of Sirkka, and I grew up in Kittilä. I have spent most of my working life in Levi Ski Resort and seen Levi's development from almost nothing to what is now.
I like to go up into the fells and just look around. The rocky felltops and the russet colour of the ground in Autumn, make me go quiet. I've been looking at them for 40 years and still find them beautiful. "
Satu Poikolainen - Cottage maintenance entrepreneur
There are over 30 maintenance companies operating in Levi that ensure the comfort of our guests. They take care of the cottages, do cleaning and small renovations, make sure that everything is in order for the guests´ arrival, and that all things necessary are found in the cottage or holiday apartment.
Maintenance companies are also responsible for delivering keys to customers and helping out with little issues related to your holiday. Our maintenance entrepreneurs are customer service professionals and warmly welcome everyone to Levi to enjoy their holiday.
Satu Poikolainen, from Satu's Magic Touch - cottage caretaking company was happy to share her work philosophy to us. "I’m pretty meticulous, so I assume that customers are too. It is important that they feel good about coming. Everything in the cottage must be in good order for the holiday to start well. ”
Päivi Hiukka, a horse and sled dog farm entrepreneur
“The best thing about my job is that customers can have the same nature experience that I personally enjoy with the animals - they can completely relax”
“As well as taking care of the animals, customer service is the most important part of my job. I like to step into the customer’s shoes and try to meet his or her desires and needs. - Sometimes it can just be that we stop together to admire the autumn colours. Or it could be that they ride all week. ”
“Levi for me means a good life and a sense of wellbeing, happiness. Nature is close by and it is valued, which is why we try to operate sustainably, ”says Päivi Hiukka, a horse and sled dog farm entrepreneur.
Jouni Laitila - kitchen manager, King Crab House
“The best thing about work is that no day is the same. In the morning you don’t know what the day will bring. Usually fun and sometimes challenges. That is what’s so interesting about the restaurant industry for me, ”says kitchen manager Jouni Laitila.
“Customer service is always individual. Trying to guage the feeling in the group and trying to positively surprise them. The aim is to make the customer happier when he leaves than he was when he arrived. ”
“In terms of number of services, Levi is better than any other skiing resort (in Finland). There are a lot of good quality restaurants here. There is a choice here and these restaurants complement each other. ”
“I don’t know anywhere else that has such a concentration of services and this kind of nature intertwined. In that way, Levi is a completely unique place. This is a wonderful place for a person to live. ”
Urpo Kaarela - taxi driver
“For 30 years I’ve been driving a taxi, and in a place like Levi, it’s awfully rewarding when you think about it. All walks of life have had a ride in my taxi. ”
“ I do talk a lot with customers and find that people like it. And I have the background to talk about the history of Levi and Lapland, going way back. They laugh until their stomachs hurt, when I tell them of all the different incident that have happened in this village over the years. A good customer relationship comes from just being yourself”.
Yellow Elf Tiina Lehtinen
“My main job is to be an elf and I do whatever the job of an elf is in that moment. In the summer, I potter in our garden. I take care of the herb garden and flower beds. In the autumn, I make all the juices, jams and marmalades for our hotel residents to enjoy. ” says Yellow Elf Tiina Lehtinen. Her unique job description is truly close to her heart:
“Probably the best thing about the job is that it’s varied and that customers are nice. And this environment where I can work ... it doesn't even feel like work when the place is so wonderful. ”
“You probably won’t believe it, but my favourite place in Levi is Tonttula. I sometimes even spend my holidays here, for my own pleasure. Here there is a forest to wander in and our animals, who I like to spend time with. This just is my favorite place. ”
Tomi Tolsa, CEO of Levi Golf and Country Club
“Golf is the best. That is the best part of my job. I used to spend my winters in Helsinki and summers in Levi. However, I spent last winter here and went skiing for the first time in 35 years. Then I skied a round of a couple of hundred kilometres in the early spring
After all, this is the best place to be in Finland. ”
Elina Kuurne - receptionist, Break Sokos Hotel Levi
“The job of the receptionist is to make customers happy. We check them in and out, but in between, we try to make the customer's trip comfortable and help wherever we can. ”
“Nature is a big part of life. It is important that you can fish, hunt and pick berries. Dad sometimes advised that if you ever have worries and sorrows, then go to the woods. There they will be forgotten. This is quite true. The forest calms you down and helps you gather your thoughts. It is like a therapy session. ”
