Congratulations from Finland
Every relationship has a beginning. Sometimes it starts like a volcano and other times it evolves almost unnoticeably. My relationship with Elisabeth and Horst started the latter way. In mid and late seventies I visited the Heimtex in Frankfurt several times. I was both eager and curious to learn more about the products and the business in general. After visiting the stands of several German companies I chose to approach the best, the Witte Company. Horst and Elisabeth, and later also Dick Bosweld, had, to my opinion, good knowledge to share.
At first I was not taken so seriously. I was the skinny, tall Finn, who did not speak much, but was always around, like Elisabeth told me later.
I finally succeeded to get their unshared attention, when I proposed to Horst and Dick: “ Let’s have a grappa in the evening”. This was the first introduction to the Finnish elixirs of life. And it helped.
Over time the business relationship became deeper and we met more frequently. And even if the Americans claim that business and pleasure should not be combined, we have over the years, as Europeans, proven this to be wrong.
After some years of selling each other’s products, sharing business knowledge and having many great dinners and evenings in different cities and countries we came to the great realization that these travels were business trips, why should we pay them from pour own pockets. So the EFAC was founded. It has been both the symbol of our joint activities as vehicle to meet regularly.
The true value and uniqueness of EFAC was seen, when in all our member companies we, the older generation, gave way to the next generation. The depth of our relationship had become so strong that it was automatically transferred to the next generation. They have continued our business, but also the friendship between their families.
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Relationships do not grow or even last without effort. They need to be nurtured and cared. The sole and hearth of the friendship is needed, someone, who makes the initiative. You, Elisabeth and Horst are this kind of people. Your own family and even your beautiful garden show the results of caring and culturing.
I, and later with my wife Kaija Katariina, have traveled together with you and our friends from Holland and Norway, in Dubai, in Hong Kong, Holland, Norway, Finland and Tunisia. We have also several times enjoyed your hospitability at your homes in Beckum and Sligo.
It is wonderful that now, when you and most of our EFAC friends have left or are in the process of leaving the active work life, we have been able to find new common interest in life like golf, traveling and getting to better know each other’s countries.
We like to continue the good life this way with you!
In Finnish there is a saying: “If sprit, tar and sauna do not help, there is nothing to be done”. Therefore we like to hand you, here in words and at Your Party in material, examples of these three Finnish elixirs of longevity:
A bottle of Koskenkorva, a bottle of tar water and a whisk of birch twigs, the Vihta.
We look forward to sharing these elixirs with you again next summer in Suomusjärvi.
With love and fondness we congratulate you, Elisabeth and Horst, on your 70th Birthday!
Kalervo and Kaija Katariina
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