Lappset Trip - A Winter Wonderland

Just under a month ago, myself and a few colleges were lucky enough to go on a trip to Lappset's Factory in Finland. As one of Jupiter Play's latest additions to our Global Partnership Program, this trip acted as both a celebration of the partnership and a window into Lappset as a supplier. This article covers that experience visually and why they are a fantastic addition to our catalog.

Jupiter Play have gained a new collaborator in their Global Partner Programme, Lappset. With almost 50 years of experience in providing play and sports activities for people of all ages. In this partnership Jupiter have gained a new, exciting range of equipment but also a wealth of knowledge, skills and expertise. As a celebration of this new partnership and as an introduction to the company, a few colleges and I were lucky enough to visit the company’s main factory in Rovaniemi, Finland. 
Many of the company’s values aligned with those of Jupiter; not just in it’s innovative thinking but also the family values we share, passion for great design and for considering the bigger picture. Visiting the factory and meeting those involved in person confirmed all of this and more. My aim for this article is to offer a window into how Lappset works and why they are a fantastic addition to Jupiter’s Global Partner Programme.  
Lappset – A Market Leader in an Industry of Copycats
Lappset’s vision is to ‘provide movement for every person’, no matter their age or ability. They aim to ‘Strengthen the Heartbeat of over 1 billion people by 2030’, a tall order and one that’s difficult to measure. However, after this trip I feel they are more than capable of exceeding that goal.
This vision is shared across the company, from those in design through to those on the production line. Everyone has a real passion to be a part of achieving this goal, something which was clear throughout every part of the trip.
Jupiter and Lappset have very similar aims and aspirations, as such there was an open forum to discuss new ideas on the subject and take on feedback regarding these goals. Collaboration is key to finding better solutions and ways of implementing the right ideas to achieve this ambitious aspiration.
Lappset’s key values are: 
Innovation,  
Quality,  
Sustainability,  
Success,   
People, 

These values ran through every aspect of our trip and tour of the factory as i'll cover below
Quality is a key factor in any manufacturing process, but at Lappset this is taken to new levels. The attention to detail in the manufacturing process is second to none. Every aspect of unit production has been fine tuned and tweaked to ensure perfection every time.
Lappset takes on every aspect of its play piece production, start to finish, removing any liability from external suppliers. This again allows the company to ensure every single parts quality without defects.
The modular design of Lappset’s units allows for mass manufacture and implementation of parts across its ranges. Reducing waste, lead times for spare parts and allows more creative freedom for designs at Lappset and externally.
This level of quality and attention to detail is shared and appreciated across the company, of course including Lappset’s Design team. During meetings we felt their passion and ownership of every design we discussed, hearing stories of its production, the design process from the beginning and the benefits experienced by the communities they were designed for.
We discussed ways to improve each of the ranges, but always ensured the products suggested were possible and reflective of Lappset’s core values, as though each product offered was a reflection of the company itself.
With this many years in the industry, Lappset has had its fair share of copycats. Other companies trying to replicate the quality design and product offering for a cheaper price.
The fact of the matter is Lappset have had 50 years of development to get their production line and product ranges right which is clear throughout the factory tour and through meeting the team. That knowledge and expertise can’t be copied, and cannot be matched in terms of quality and design.
Lappset – Proof is in the Play Areas!
It wouldn’t be a Lappset Trip without seeing a few showcase installation sites in Rovaniemi. These sites are a true representation of Lappet’s values and aims, even in their location! All offering different play experiences and sporting activities, within walking distance of each other. The best way to showcase these installation’s is through images rather than words as below. Feel free to look up these sites via the image links for a more in depth look at the installations.
Rovaniemen keskuskenttä - NEAP Play and Fitness Space

An example of Lappsets modular bespoke capabilities, this Finno Motoric Track has been modified to include a few different bridges and climbing elements to the standard unit. Not a massive change but something that makes this unit unique and perfectly suited for this location.

The Finno range also offers a selection of fitness equipment matching the colour schemes and styles of the play offering. In this case this allows the whole space to be coherant in style and themeing, wether it be the fitness area or the play area.

Ruokasenpuiston Leikkipaikka - LEAP Play Space

A more play focused space, using a mixture of Lappset Finno and Halo equipment.

One of the Halo ranges smaller units. This again showcases the modular design opportunities offered with Lappset and how each range offers a unique style/play value.

Two smaller play units from Finno, showing how different Lappset ranges can work well together.

Around the corner from the main play space we saw two examples of the original Finno range that has been in the ground for over 20 years!

Angry Birds leikkipuisto - Angry Birds Themed Playground

A completely bespoke unit built for Angry Birds Park. You can see how Lappset's Modular design system allows for a bespoke 3 floor unit to be built using standard posts and parts.

This same system can be used in conjunction with themed panels and imagary to bring further unique elements to the piece.

Lappset's 'Made to Order' production method allows for all units to be themed and modified to match the space they are built for.

Finnish Culture, People and Outside of Work
Obviously we couldn’t travel out to Finland without partaking in a few leisure activities and experiencing the country outside of Lappset. Michael kindly took us on a variety of excursions outside of work time, including Electric Mountain bike riding, Husky Sledging, Reindeer Rides and meeting the actual Santa Claus!
Though fantastic experiences, one of my main take aways from this was how polite, kind and caring Finnish people are. Inside Lappet’s factory it felt like we had been welcomed into a close-knit family. Managers helping with all aspects of the company, supporting employee’s and taking an interest in their lives in and out of work. Much like how we are with our smaller team at Jupiter.
Outside of Lappset, in Rovaniemi again this trend continued. All of our tour guides, bar staff, hotel staff and the general public were happy welcoming people. Happy to answer questions and find out about where we came from and our background.
Overall, the Lappet Trip was fantastic and a once in a lifetime experience. I would like to thank Michael Hoenigmann, Jupiter Play & Leisure Ltd and Lappset Group for arranging this trip and making it one I will not soon forget!
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