Mark Raisanen is the national sales manager for Saunatec, Inc.   Mark's grandfather, Nels Raisanen, emigrated from Finland to the United States as a teenager in 1908.  Mark's father, Niilo Raisanen grew up near Annandale and graduated from Annandale High School.  Niilo Raisanen started Raydot, an agriculture business, in Cokato in the early 1970s. A timeline for Saunatec follows: 

1984: Svante Lagerholm, an importer of saunas in North America, contacted Raydot looking for business owners with Finnish heritage to become sauna dealers.  Initially, the Raisanens turned down the offer.   

1986: Keith Raisanen, Mark's older brother, decided it was worth the risk to make this his full-time job and made the leap of moving to their first location on Cokato Lake.   They were known as Finnleo Saunas of the North in Cokato, Minnesota. 

1990: Finnleo changed name to Saunatec. 

1991: The parent company, Hanko Finland, acquired controlling interest in Saunatec.  (Hanko was founded in 1919 in Wyborg, Finland.)  Saunatec moved to 1575 East Cokato, Street (Highway 12), Cokato. 

1993, 1996, 1998 and 2,000: Saunatec had expansions in each of these years. 

1998: Saunatec acquired its largest competitor, Amerec.  Amerec also owned McCoy. 

Saunatec is North America's largest sauna manufacturer and is part of a global company including the following:  

• Saunatec Cokato, Minnesota
• Amerec Woodinville, Washington Saunas and steam baths
• Finnleo
• Helo Group, Finland
• Polar
• McCoy Novi, Michigan  

There are 700 Saunatec dealers in the United States and 130 in Canada.  Health and relaxation are the engines that drive sauna sales. 

Sauna (pronounced sow-nah, like the female pig) is the only Finnish word in the English dictionary.   Heat bathing is documented throughout world history. Saunas were documented 2,000 years ago in Finland.  There are five million people in Finland and 1.6 million saunas, about one sauna for every three people.  There are more saunas than cars in Finland. 

Shortly after the Mayflower landed in 1638, Finns arrived in the Delaware River Valley bringing with them the tradition of saunas.  The oldest savu sauna in North America still in existence is located at Temperance Corner north of Cokato.  It is the 1868 Barberg and Selvala log sauna restored and maintained by the Cokato Finnish American Historical Society.  Savu means smoke ( no chimney).  

Many early Finnish Americans did not have a shower or bath tub, but they had their saunas.   An early day undertaker said that the Finns were cleaner than others because of their saunas.  With saunas one gets clean from the inside out. 

Mark's power point presentation included the following benefits of saunas. 

•       Conditions the heart.
•       Relaxes muscles.
•       Makes joints more supple.
•       Flushes toxins.
•       Cleanses skin.
•       Improves respiration.
•       Relieves stress.
•       Induces deeper, more relaxed sleep.
•       Brings a sense of well-being and refreshment. 

Every family has traditions and ways to use the sauna, some relaxing and some invigorating.  Sauna designs range from functional to deluxe depending on personal taste and budget.  Saunas are wood-lined rooms with a heater and rocks.  The sauna user controls both temperature (140-195F) and humidity (5-35%).  There is usually a separate shower room.   

The infrared sauna heats the body directly with radiant heat instead of heating the air.  There is no steam.  Sauna combinations are available with either an infrared or traditional sauna at the flip of a switch. 

The wood used in Saunatec  saunas is usually Western red cedar or Nordic white spruce, which hold the heat.  European  alder or Canadian hemlock, a hypoallergenic wood, are also used.   Benches in the white spruce sauna are usually made of abachi, which doesn't get hot. Wood is sourced from all over the world.  Saunatec takes great care to ensure its materials come from green friendly sources. Saunatec has adopted the birch tree and leaves as part of their logo to emphasize the company's commitment to natural, earth friendly products.   

Saunatec sells two or three heaters for every sauna room kit they sell.  People like to build their own saunas.  The Tonttu heat storing heater is a favorite high-end heater in Saunatecs product line.  

The rock used is vulcanite, a granite-like rock from Finland.  It is a UL safety-tested rock that holds heat and breaks down more slowly.  The rocks usually last 5-10 years with heavy use. 

Amerec steam baths at 100-120 degrees F feel as warm as a traditional sauna at 180 degrees F.  Acrylic steam rooms are available for two to twelve people.  Besides individuals, sauna and steam room customers include hotels, gyms, fitness centers, pro and college sports team facilities, and the health industry.    

Saunatec employs 35-40 people (50 at the peak).  September to May are the busiest months.  Osmo Vanska, music director of the Minnesota Orchestra and Minnesota's most famous Finn, appeared in ads to promote saunas in America. 

Mark said that Saunatec is proud to be part of local Finnish history carrying Finnish tradition into the modern age.  History Club attendees were invited to tour the Saunatec facility in Cokato.

Saunatecs website is www.saunatec.com. 

Notes by Secretary
Annandale History Club