Mold alert! The brewers’ first attempt at kombucha took place in a walk-in closet, but the batch went bad because of all the dust. That didn’t discourage the hardy crew, and they later brewed their first successful 200-liter batch in the sauna of a condemned house in Tampere, Finland.
Fast forward to today: the brewers, now calling themselves The Good Guys, bottle up to 17,000 trendy kombucha bottles a week in Pirkkala, a small town just a stone's throw from Tampere. Markus Klöf, an LUT alumnus, ended up in the company by way of skydiving, TV commercials, and event production.
We're now riding the third wave of kombucha, a fermented sweet tea. According to Klöf, the product’s popularity stems from the current health boom and several other megatrends: the demand for low-sugar options and the rise of fermented, non-alcoholic, and organic products.
Kombucha is a billion-euro global business. Worldwide sales are expected to grow to 4.9 billion euros by 2025. The Good Guys, based in Pirkkala, sells its products in Finland through its online store and large chain stores. In addition, the company ships products to Sweden and is now aiming to expand its sales to other countries.
“Finland has always been ahead of the game in the development and sales of health and wellness products compared to other Nordic countries. Even Estonia boasts more kombucha breweries than, say, Sweden,” says Klöf, who is in charge of sales, marketing, and events at The Good Guys.
Kombucha is made by adding a culture of yeast and bacteria to sweetened tea, which then undergoes fermentation.
“Kombucha was invented over 2,000 years ago, but the Western hype around the drink is a more recent phenomenon. In Finland, Chymos manufactured kombucha already in the 1970s, but refrigerators weren't as effective then as they are now. Kombucha requires cold storage, and at higher temperatures, it continued to ferment, making it too exotic for the local consumer back then.”
During the interview, Klöf is testing his company's tea-based energy drink. Klöf says that The Good Guys, which he co-founded with a few of his friends, is continuously coming up with new product ideas. Klöf's significant other, Kirsi Seivo, has written a book on kombucha in collaboration with the company's co-founder and CEO Krister Häll, and the company also sells kombucha brewing kits, tea, and clothing items.
“We put quality above all else, though. As Krister says, he'd rather drink plain hot water than dunk a tea bag into it. That says something about our basic mentality,” Klöf chuckles.
What’s stopping you from doing the same?
In 2020, Klöf put the finishing touches on his master’s thesis and graduated – just shy of 20 years after starting his business studies.
“I’m a prime example of why it’s never too late to graduate,” he grins.
This year, Klöf is turning 40 and has – at least to some extent – settled down, having lived in Tampere for years now. Before that, Klöf spent several years skydiving, deep-sea diving, and gathering new experiences in the United States, Australia, and Asia.
“I remember that many people were baffled by my leaving Finland to live abroad. I replied by asking them what was stopping them from doing the same. The point is you can’t have it all. Very few people buy an expensive home and still wander the world backpacking. During my years abroad, I made a living cleaning bathrooms and working in kitchens.”
Klöf is socially talented and has never had trouble making new acquaintances – quite the opposite, in fact. Klöf has never had to apply for a job; he has always been the one sought out. According to Klöf, it's first and foremost a matter of building a network. He started putting his together during his studies at LUT.
“I can't emphasize the importance of networks enough. For example, an old friend from university needed exactly the kind of expertise I could offer his company, and he decided to call me up. And when you do your job well, it will lead to other opportunities.”
Klöf underscores that utilizing your networks requires genuine connections. If you only ever reach out to people when you want something from them, you won’t get very far. And in a country the size of Finland, circles are small and word gets around.
“The fact that my parents and my partner’s parents live less than half a mile from each other tells you something.”
Does the baby of the family always have to work harder?
A while back, Klöf was shooting a commercial for the Finnish broadcasting company Yle in Tenerife, Spain, and his costar happened to be living in Tampere at the time. Klöf also decided to relocate there and later made friends with Krister Häll. Klöf gives credit to think tanks and highlights the role of physical spaces in the development of his professional endeavors.
“When people from different professional fields come together under one roof, new contacts come naturally. Working near passionate and inspired people inspires you as well.”
Klöf has been a part of a number of startups over the years – as a co-founder or otherwise. He was also involved in event production for a decade before the COVID-19 pandemic brought the industry to a halt. For example, in the startup and technology event Slush, Klöf was in charge of coordinating the work of 1,700 volunteers. At the annual Flow Festival, he was a production coordinator on several occasions. Klöf worked nearly non-stop, taking on one event after another; sometimes even more than one at a time.
“Event production was challenging and demanding but also fun and rewarding. Over the years, I cultivated a very specific type of profile in the industry, and one project always led to another.”
Klöf believes that being the third-born in his family has affected his career path. As the youngest child, he always felt inept alongside his older and wiser siblings.
“I had to work harder. But as the baby of the family, I’m sure I was given more freedom, which made me independent.”
Even if Klöf seems to have settled down, he still doesn't shy away from new challenges. He recently bought a sailboat and has practiced sailing solo despite his childhood aversion to the activity. Klöf's father was an avid sailor and had a habit of sending Klöf back home from family boat trips when he misbehaved.
“It was character-building!”
Markus Klöf
- Born in Espoo, lives in Tampere.
- Studied international marketing at LUT 2002–2008, obtained his master’s degree in 2020. Was an exchange student in the US.
- In charge of sales, marketing, and events for The Good Guys in Pirkkala.
- Involved in event production for 10 years, including the Flow Festival and startup and tech event Slush for several years.
- Has co-founded many startups: Good Guys Oy, Glowway Oy, Burning Henhouse (OÜ), Stream Events Oy, Streamroller Oy, Tampere Startup Hub Oy. Has founded the associations Tampere Startup Hub ry and Tribe Tampere.
- Was a project manager in the company that developed the Birdman skydiving suit.
- Was a candidate in the 2021 municipal elections in Finland but was not elected. Was a deputy member of the municipal council in Tampere in the previous term.
- Is a board member of Finnpark Oy.
- Interests include diving, mountain-climbing, skydiving, and BASE jumping. The most recent addition to the list is sailing.
Read more:
Get to know LUT Business School's staff
- Sami Saarenketo was supposed to become a rock star but commands the stage as a modern dean
- ”It’s been a wild ride,” says LUT University’s education reformer, Vice Rector Jaana Sandström, and reins in a stallion
- This is the man who took LUT Business School to the world – Kalevi Kyläheiko is a character everyone remembers
See also this alumna story
This article was originally published in 2021.
