Siltala, Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea – The Maritime History of the Håkans Family

In the story of Håkans, seas rage, ships sink, ropes tighten, money burns and balls bounce. The Håkans family originally hails from Petsmo, “the best village in the world”, on Finland’s Swedish-speaking west coast. The family business got its start in the 1890s with a steam-powered sawmill. The mill burned to the ground three times, only to rise up each time from the ashes. Håkans’ ancestors towed giant rafts of timber, hunted for seal, went looking for opportunities in America, and fought in the bloody Finnish Civil War. During the Prohibition era, bootlegging brought in new kinds of business and equipment. On the legal side of things, the family began to specialise in maritime salvaging. By the end of the 20th century, Alfons Håkans Ltd had grew into a formidable shipping company, coming to the rescue of everything from fishing boats that had run aground to gigantic passenger ferries stranded at sea. With the advent of the 21st century, Håkans expanded into the Baltic countries and became the number one international maritime towing and salvaging company operating in the Baltic Sea. The business became associated with security of supply crises and fateful questions of national security. They attained success, but at a cost. The legs of the family’s overworked patriarch had to be amputated bit by bit after years of underwater diving. Millions poured into the Håkans company’s coffers, and then were poured right back out again. All too often, the fruits of their seagoing operations were transferred to the city of Turku’s football pitches, after Håkans established, steered and financed a new sports organisation called FC Inter. The family’s businesses and life’s work have managed to stay afloat already for remarkable six generations. This book reveals the sweet and salty history of the Håkans family and its connection to the sea. “A corporate history at its finest: written fluently, without blinders or weighty statistics that slow the reading down. Would that I were the author of this chronicle!”-Vasabladet “The story of Håkans’ colourful adventures among the rocks, winds and ice is an annals of a different breed, as the sweet and salty history of humankind filters through every page. Ugly truths aren’t sugar-coated. The audiobook could easily pass for a dramatic reading.”-Verkkouutiset “The Alfons Håkans company is a saucier-than-average subject for a corporate history. The narrative progresses at a driving tempo; the sentences are snappy and short, like lashes from a whip. A dose of humour has been added to the mix, and a plethora of quotes add spark to the narration.”-Ilkka-Pohjalainen “The Håkans family story proceeds from one astounding story to another, each surpassing the last. Seeing as how the entrepreneurs of this particular family have had their fingers in many different pies, the conceit works.”-Kauppalehti Optio “This Håkans shipping company tale is full of dangerous, alcohol-fueled twists and turns that sometimes test the limits of the law. The exploits of this family of savvy business owners have nevertheless kept the firm afloat for six generations.”-Turun Sanomat