Mielakka Ski Center in Finland has filed for bankruptcy with debts totaling approximately €400,000. The company submitted its bankruptcy application to the Kymenlaakso District Court this week.
The largest creditor is former operator Veli Hyyryläinen, who ran the ski center as a family business from 2003 to 2019. Hyyryläinen is owed €130,000 in unpaid loans from his time operating the facility.
Hyyryläinen also owns Ratapaja Oy, the company that owns the ski lifts on the northern slope and leases them to the ski center. Mielakka Ski Center owes approximately €70,000 in unpaid rental fees to Ratapaja Oy.
Southeast Finland's OP Bank appears on the creditor list with €93,000 in outstanding loans guaranteed by Finnvera, Finland's state-owned financing company. Equipment supplier SGN Oy is owed €30,000 for a snow groomer purchased in installments, while Kouvola Water has outstanding water bills of €9,000 from last season.
Kouvola city officials announced last week that five different parties have expressed interest in taking over the ski center's operations. The city will begin negotiations with interested parties in the coming weeks.
The bankruptcy highlights the ongoing challenges facing smaller ski resorts in Finland, where short seasons and high maintenance costs create difficult operating conditions. With five potential buyers already showing interest, there appears to be hope for the facility's future despite its current financial troubles.