Kesko Corporation

Helsinki Finland

 

Company Description

You name it, Kesko sells it. The Finnish firm is big in importing, distributing, and wholesaling in its homeland and in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, Sweden, and now Russia and Belarus. Its largest division, Kesko Food (about 45% of sales) includes more than 1,000 of its own "K" food stores (operating in a variety of formats mostly in Finland and in the Baltic countries). Kesko also operates about 870 other retail outlets -- from department stores and home and specialty shops (shoes and sporting goods), to stores selling hardware, builders' supplies, agriculture goods, and machinery. Kesko also is a wholesaler and imports vehicles made by Volkswagen and Audi through its VV-Auto division.