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Early Growing Pains and Mentorship

“I think it was DA-Design’s very first working day when they walked into Forssa Business Development to see me,” Pekka Ekholm recalls.

The FYK business incubator provided support especially in the practical matters of entrepreneurship. DA received help with financial monitoring, sales, pricing, and drafting customer agreements—so these things didn’t have to be learned the hard way through costly mistakes.

“What appealed to me was their exceptionally strong expertise in electronics. They were solid guys. I knew they would become something. People always say you can’t know, but in my opinion, you can,” Ekholm says with a smile.

However, he also saw potential pitfalls in their engineering background.

“Engineers tend to be bad at this: once they land one deal, they focus solely on executing it. Sales are forgotten, and the next deal only comes when the previous one is already used up. In reality, you should be selling when your stomach is full and you don’t even feel like taking on a new deal,” Ekholm explains.

One amusing mishap from DA’s early days has stayed with Ekholm. The company assumed a certain device was the size of a regular computer, when in fact it turned out to be a contraption that filled an entire room. Before submitting an offer, there simply hadn’t always been time to familiarize themselves with the project thoroughly enough.

“The problem with a young company is that there are unexpected twists, because the projects are all so different,” he says.

Ekholm’s role at DA was strongly mentor-driven, especially in the early years. His principle was to give space rather than micromanage.

“The client has to come to me asking for advice, not the other way around with me pushing something on them,” Ekholm explains his philosophy. “That’s how the message really gets through.”

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International Success

Once DA-Design was standing firmly on its own feet, Ekholm stepped back from everyday operations and continued supporting the company as a board member.

“It was an interesting and educational time to serve on the board,” he says.

Ekholm has followed DA’s growth with pride.

“DA was the kind of company where the sales manager rode a bicycle to close deals. Now, when I look at their trade fair appearances, DA is an international example of a success story. I’m amazed that with these building blocks here in Forssa, such a high-tech company has been created,” he says with a smile.

Ekholm looks to the future with near-radiant optimism: the best is yet to come.