Press release Dec 16, 2024
Honkarakenne Ltd. and Saipro Group held the opening ceremony of Santa Claus Village in Uzbekistan
Saipro Group and Honkarakenne Ltd. celebrated the opening of Santa Claus Village on Tuesday, December 10, 2024 at Green Hills Resort in Uzbekistan. The event attracted distinguished audience of international guests who were able to see the unique place.
Santa Claus Village offers unforgettable experiences and presents Finnish culture to local and international visitors. The visitors can enjoy an authentic Christmas atmosphere, interactive theater performances, entertainment programs in the village. The theme park, part of the Green Hills Resort complex, was implemented under a license from the Santa Claus Foundation by the SAIPRO Group with the support of Honkarakenne.
Honkarakenne works closely with its local partner Saipro Group to develop the area.
"This is a highly significant opportunity for us to promote our products in the Uzbek market, where we have collaborated with our partner for many years. It is gratifying to participate in a project that represents Finnish expertise in healthy and ecological living," says Honkarakenne's CEO Marko Saarelainen.
Green Hills Resort expands as a unique leisure destination
Green Hills Resort is located in Central Asia in the Aktash mountains, approximately 60 kilometers from Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan.
Green Hills Resort's goal is to create a unique, environmentally friendly and ecological leisure destination where a visitor can spend quality time in a beautiful mountain environment, enjoying clean and fresh air, good food and unhurried days. Green Hills Resort offers breathtaking landscapes, a variety of activities and unforgettable experiences. For example the visitors can rent a bicycle, engage in physical activities or go hiking in the nearby mountains.
Honkarakenne has supplied 11 buildings to the area, including ten villas of approximately 100 m² and one villa of about 220 m². Each villa offers stunning views of the mountains and valleys, blending harmoniously into the surrounding nature. The opening of the first phase of the area was held in the summer of 2022, and collaboration continues seamlessly following this December milestone.
Official representation of Finland at the opening ceremony
On December 10, 2024, a gala reception was also held at Green Hills Resort in honor of the 107th anniversary of Finland's independence. The official representatives of Finland in the event were the Finnish Ambassador to Uzbekistan Mr. Ilkka Räisänen and the Governor of Lapland Mr. Hannu Takkula.
The event brought together representatives of the diplomatic community, international organizations, business actors, and experts in the fields of culture and education, highlighting the close cooperation and mutual respect between Finland and Uzbekistan.
The celebration combined culture, diplomacy, festive joy and international trade paving the way for even closer collaboration between the two countries.
For more information:
Mr. Marko Saarelainen, President, CEO
mob. +358 40 542 0254
marko.saarelainen@honka.com
Ms. Maria Turenkova, Sales Director, Central Asia
mob. +358 50 4136152
maria.turenkova@honka.com
Honkarakenne Ltd manufactures healthy and eco-friendly high-quality log homes, holiday homes and public buildings. Its buildings are made from Finnish solid wood under the Honka® brand. The company has already delivered 90,000 buildings in over 50 countries. The Honka log home kits are manufactured at the company's own factory in Karstula, Finland. In 2023, Honkarakenne Group's consolidated net sales totalled EUR 46.3 million, of which exports accounted for 31%. www.honka.com
SAIPRO GROUP LLC has been operating in the Uzbek market since 1999 and has a professional team that provides a wide range of consulting services: from business ideas to their implementation.
Today the Group owns various businesses, in particular the media business: two TV channels
