Carl Adolf Engström (17 February 1855 – 19 June 1924) was a Finnish engineer, businessman and
vuorineuvos
Vuorineuvos ("mining counselor", literally Finnish for "mountain counselor"; sv, bergsråd) is a Finnish honorary title granted by the President of Finland to leading figures in industry and commerce. The title is honorary and has no responsibilit ...
.
Engström got familiar already at early age with large
machinery
A machine is a physical system using power to apply forces and control movement to perform an action. The term is commonly applied to artificial devices, such as those employing engines or motors, but also to natural biological macromolecule ...
and engineering
workshop
Beginning with the Industrial Revolution era, a workshop may be a room, rooms or building which provides both the area and tools (or machinery) that may be required for the manufacture or repair of manufactured goods. Workshops were the only ...
environment due to his stepfather's work as engineer in the
Finnish State Railways
VR-Group Plc ( fi, VR-Yhtymä Oyj, sv, VR-Group Abp), commonly known as VR, is a government-owned railway company in Finland. VR's most important function is the operation of Finland's passenger rail services with 250 long-distance and 800 co ...
. After completing his mechanical engineering studies in
Helsinki Polytechnic School in 1877, Engström went to gain experience abroad in
Sweden
Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...
,
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
,
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
and United States.
Upon his return in 1884, Engström got vacance in the State Railways. He took successfully part in
steam locomotive
A steam locomotive is a locomotive that provides the force to move itself and other vehicles by means of the expansion of steam. It is fuelled by burning combustible material (usually coal, oil or, rarely, wood) to heat water in the locomot ...
designing, which was followed by railway projects in Savonia and Karelia. He worked as director for stone company Ab Granit in 1889–1895, after which he returned to State Railways for another five years.
Engström was appointed manager of
Hietalahti Shipyard and Engineering Works in 1900. During his time the company developed rapidly and the sales increased significantly, largely due to
Russo-Japanese War
The Russo-Japanese War ( ja, 日露戦争, Nichiro sensō, Japanese-Russian War; russian: Ру́сско-япóнская войнá, Rússko-yapónskaya voyná) was fought between the Empire of Japan and the Russian Empire during 1904 and 1 ...
and the
First World War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
. On the other hand, the time was difficult due to increased strikes and confrontation between the workers and employers. Engström left his position as company manager in 1918; this was affected by the death of his son in the previous
Finnish Civil War
The Finnish Civil War; . Other designations: Brethren War, Citizen War, Class War, Freedom War, Red Rebellion and Revolution, . According to 1,005 interviews done by the newspaper ''Aamulehti'', the most popular names were as follows: Civil W ...
.
Early life
Adolf Engström was born in
Vörå
Vörå (; fi, Vöyri) is a municipality of Finland. In 2011, it was created from the municipalities of Vörå-Maxmo and Oravais. Vörå-Maxmo was created in 2007 from the municipalities of (old) Vörå and Maxmo. It is located in the province o ...
, Ostrobothnia.
His parents were
land surveyor
Surveying or land surveying is the technique, profession, art, and science of determining the terrestrial two-dimensional or three-dimensional positions of points and the distances and angles between them. A land surveying professional is ca ...
Leonhard Engström and Adolfina née Taxell, who was daughter of
Messukylä
Messukylä ( sv, Messukylä, also ) is a former municipality of Finland which was annexed by the city of Tampere in 1947. The medieval stone church (built c. 1540) in Messukylä is the oldest building in Tampere. During the Civil War (1918), Mess ...
vicar
A vicar (; Latin: ''vicarius'') is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior (compare "vicarious" in the sense of "at second hand"). Linguistically, ''vicar'' is cognate with the English pref ...
Jonas Gabriel Taxell. The couple had two daughters and sons Adolf and Otto. Leonhard Engström died when Adolf was four years old, and the widow married her late husband's older brother Carl Petter Engström, who was Mechanical Engineer. The family moved to
Helsinki
Helsinki ( or ; ; sv, Helsingfors, ) is the Capital city, capital, primate city, primate, and List of cities and towns in Finland, most populous city of Finland. Located on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, it is the seat of the region of U ...
in 1862, and the Ostrobothnian boy had to adopt to a new environment. The stepfather worked for the
Finnish State Railways
VR-Group Plc ( fi, VR-Yhtymä Oyj, sv, VR-Group Abp), commonly known as VR, is a government-owned railway company in Finland. VR's most important function is the operation of Finland's passenger rail services with 250 long-distance and 800 co ...
, and that way Adolf got familiar with engineering
workshops
Beginning with the Industrial Revolution era, a workshop may be a room, rooms or building which provides both the area and tools (or machinery) that may be required for the manufacture or repair of manufactured goods. Workshops were the only ...
and large
machinery
A machine is a physical system using power to apply forces and control movement to perform an action. The term is commonly applied to artificial devices, such as those employing engines or motors, but also to natural biological macromolecule ...
during his childhood. C. P. Engström became Chief Engineer in the State Railways in 1870 and during 1877–1890 he was board member in railway administration.
Studies and early career
Engström graduated from Helsinki Swedish Normal Lyceum in 1874 and continued his studies in
Helsinki Polytechnic School and graduated Mechanical Engineer in 1877.
He wanted to gain abroad useful practical experience abroad, which he could later use for developing his home country.
Engström first worked for
Motala Engineering Works in Sweden as
draftsman
A drafter (also draughtsman / draughtswoman in British and Commonwealth English, draftsman / draftswoman or drafting technician in American and Canadian English) is an engineering technician who makes detailed technical drawings or plans for m ...
, and then in
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
for
Hannoversche Maschinenbau AG and
Hohenzollern Locomotive Works
The Hohenzollern Locomotive Works (Aktiengesellschaft für Lokomotivbau Hohenzollern) was a German locomotive-building company which operated from 1872 to 1929. The Hohenzollern works was a manufacturer of standard gauge engines and about 400 ...
. He went next to England, where he worked for
Beyer, Peacock & Company
Beyer, Peacock and Company was an English railway locomotive manufacturer with a factory in Openshaw, Manchester. Founded by Charles Beyer, Richard Peacock and Henry Robertson, it traded from 1854 until 1966. The company exported locomotives, ...
in
Manchester
Manchester () is a city in Greater Manchester, England. It had a population of 552,000 in 2021. It is bordered by the Cheshire Plain to the south, the Pennines to the north and east, and the neighbouring city of Salford to the west. The t ...
. Engström's following step was the United States; he worked for
Pennsylvania Railroad
The Pennsylvania Railroad (reporting mark PRR), legal name The Pennsylvania Railroad Company also known as the "Pennsy", was an American Class I railroad that was established in 1846 and headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. It was named ...
's
Altoona Works
Altoona Works (also known as Altoona Terminal) is a large railroad industrial complex in Altoona, Pennsylvania. It was built between 1850 and 1925 by the Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR), to supply the railroad with locomotives, railroad cars and relat ...
.
State Railways
In 1884 Engström returned to Finland, for State Railways, to take part in a locomotive project. The target was to design a locomotive suitable for
Oulu
Oulu ( , ; sv, Uleåborg ) is a city, municipality and a seaside resort of about 210,000 inhabitants in the region of North Ostrobothnia, Finland. It is the most populous city in northern Finland and the fifth most populous in the country after: ...
railway; it should be firewood compatible and also stronger and more
fuel efficient
Fuel efficiency is a form of thermal efficiency, meaning the ratio of effort to result of a process that converts chemical potential energy contained in a carrier (fuel) into kinetic energy or work. Overall fuel efficiency may vary per device, wh ...
, than a type used on
Nikolaistad railway. Engström redesigned the
firebox
Firebox may refer to:
*Firebox (steam engine), the area where the fuel is burned in a steam engine
*Firebox (architecture), the part of a fireplace where fuel is combusted
*Firebox Records
Firebox Records was a Finnish record label based in S ...
and made the structure more robust. This locomotive type was produced total 104 units.
After the Oulu railway was built, Engström continued in Savonian and Karelian railway projects. He worked for State Railways until 1889.
Engström returned to State Railways for 1895–1900 to work as engineering workshop manager's assistant.
Ab Granit
As there were no new railway development projects, Engström sought for new opportunities. In 1889 he was appointed director and technical manager of Ab Granit, which was a stone company in
Hanko Hanko may refer to
People
*August Hanko (military personnel), August Hanko, German First World War flying ace
Places
*Hanko, Finland, town and municipality
*Hanko Peninsula, Finland
*Hankø, an island in the Oslo Fjord in Norway
*The asteroid ...
. The company had gained foothold in construction business in Helsinki and grown amongst 30 largest companies of Finland. At the turn of the 1890s the company employed 268 people. The 1894 erected
Tsar Alexander II
Alexander II ( rus, Алекса́ндр II Никола́евич, Aleksándr II Nikoláyevich, p=ɐlʲɪˈksandr ftɐˈroj nʲɪkɐˈlajɪvʲɪtɕ; 29 April 181813 March 1881) was Emperor of Russia, King of Poland and Grand Duke of Fin ...
statue in
Senate Square, of which foundation was constructed by Granit, promoted the company's sales in
Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...
.
Hietalahti Shipyard and Engineering Works
Engström was appointed manager of
Sandvikens Skeppsdocka och Mekaniska Verkstads Ab ("Hietalahti Shipyard and Engineering Works") in 1900. He followed engineer
Edvin Bergroth
Edvin Leonard Bergroth (26 December 1836 – 29 March 1917) was a Finnish engineer, businessman and vuorineuvos.
Bergroth studied engineering in Hannover. After returning to Finland, he worked for the Finnish State Railways and a gasworks, unti ...
, who was the first manager of the company that was re-established after bankruptcy.
Bergroth had developed the operations through investments, and Engström received leadership of a financially solid company, which he continued developing determinedly.
[Osakeyhtiö Hietalahden...: ''Toiminta uuden vuosisadan aikana. Vuodet 1901–1914.'' pp. 58–77.] Engström sometimes faced situations which needed quick decisions – he for example received repair work of a
shipwreck
A shipwreck is the wreckage of a ship that is located either beached on land or sunken to the bottom of a body of water. Shipwrecking may be intentional or unintentional. Angela Croome reported in January 1999 that there were approximately ...
ed vessel which was too large to the
dock
A dock (from Dutch language, Dutch ''dok'') is the area of water between or next to one or a group of human-made structures that are involved in the handling of boats or ships (usually on or near a shore) or such structures themselves. The ex ...
; the dock was extended during the salvage process.
The
Russo-Japanese War
The Russo-Japanese War ( ja, 日露戦争, Nichiro sensō, Japanese-Russian War; russian: Ру́сско-япóнская войнá, Rússko-yapónskaya voyná) was fought between the Empire of Japan and the Russian Empire during 1904 and 1 ...
in 1904–1905 led to increased order intake of
torpedo boat
A torpedo boat is a relatively small and fast naval ship designed to carry torpedoes into battle. The first designs were steam-powered craft dedicated to ramming enemy ships with explosive spar torpedoes. Later evolutions launched variants of se ...
s for the
Imperial Russian Navy
The Imperial Russian Navy () operated as the navy of the Russian Tsardom and later the Russian Empire from 1696 to 1917. Formally established in 1696, it lasted until dissolved in the wake of the February Revolution of 1917. It developed from a ...
. During 1900–1914 the company built total about 60 steam and motor vessels. In addition to shipbuilding, the company produced large number of ship engines,
steam boilers
Steam is a substance containing water in the gas phase, and sometimes also an aerosol of liquid water droplets, or air. This may occur due to evaporation or due to boiling, where heat is applied until water reaches the enthalpy of vaporization. ...
and also
railway wagon
A railroad car, railcar (American and Canadian English), railway wagon, railway carriage, railway truck, railwagon, railcarriage or railtruck (British English and UIC), also called a train car, train wagon, train carriage or train truck, is a ...
s.
Engström's personal contribution was significant in the rolling stock production, and the wagon projects balanced the wintertime docking workload drop.
Engström developed and modernised the
shipyard
A shipyard, also called a dockyard or boatyard, is a place where ships are built and repaired. These can be yachts, military vessels, cruise liners or other cargo or passenger ships. Dockyards are sometimes more associated with maintenance a ...
; this meant new methods, as electrical
welding
Welding is a fabrication (metal), fabrication process that joins materials, usually metals or thermoplastics, by using high heat to melt the parts together and allowing them to cool, causing Fusion welding, fusion. Welding is distinct from lower ...
and
pneumatic tool
A pneumatic tool, air tool, air-powered tool or pneumatic-powered tool is a type of power tool, driven by compressed air supplied by an air compressor. Pneumatic tools can also be driven by compressed carbon dioxide () stored in small cylinders al ...
s. The dock was further extended in 1910 and 1912 and a new
brass foundry
A foundry is a factory that produces metal castings. Metals are cast into shapes by melting them into a liquid, pouring the metal into a mold, and removing the mold material after the metal has solidified as it cools. The most common metals pr ...
was taken into use in 1914. Two years later a new main engineering workshop was opened. Prior to the
First World War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, the company employed 597 people and the annual sales reached 2.4 million
marks
Marks may refer to:
Business
* Mark's, a Canadian retail chain
* Marks & Spencer, a British retail chain
* Collective trade marks, trademarks owned by an organisation for the benefit of its members
* Marks & Co, the inspiration for the novel '' ...
. The First World War increased the business again; during 1915–1917 the company docked total 400 vessels. Engström had also further plans which did not actualise, such as a new dock layout, that would have enabled building many large ships simultaneously. All the investments were funded by company profit, and the company did not collect capital from outside during that. By 1919, when Engström left his position, the share capital had grown from half million to six million marks.
Engström's era as shipyard leader was the time of organisation of labour and employers. The yard experienced some occasional strikes at the late 19th century, and after the yard faced larger strikes and conflicts in 1902, Engström called other engineering industry employers to negotiate about forming an
employers' association
An employers' organization or employers' association is a collective organization of manufacturers, retailers, or other employers of wage labor. Employers' organizations seek to coordinate the behavior of their member companies in matters of mutual ...
. The first general
collective agreement
A collective agreement, collective labour agreement (CLA) or collective bargaining agreement (CBA) is a written contract negotiated through collective bargaining for employees by one or more trade unions with the management of a company (or with an ...
between the
union
Union commonly refers to:
* Trade union, an organization of workers
* Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets
Union may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment
Music
* Union (band), an American rock group
** ''Un ...
and employers was signed in 1906. Already in 1908 the employers planned to end the agreements because they had not put an end to striking. At the beginning Engström supported collective agreements, but changed his mind in 1909. This led to a long-term strike, which eventually ended to defeat for the union – the engineering industry workers returned to work without having a collective agreement. Consequently, the relations between employers' association and trade unions suffered badly.
Organisational activities
Engström was founding member of the 1903 created Finnish Engineering Industry Employers' Association and deputy chairman until 1911, after which he served as chairman until 1919. He also took part in founding the Swedish Technical Science Academy of Finland and he became honorary member of the Finnish Technical Association in 1920. During 1903–1911 he was member of Helsinki City Council.
Committee memberships
*Railway Economy Investigation Committee, 1885–1895 and 1906
*Railway Committee, 1892–1893
*Committee for Railway Rolling Stock Construction Promotion, 1896
*Representative of Finland in International Railway Conference, 1895
*Vocational Education Committee, 1908
*Advisor member of Railway Administration, 1908–1916
*Domestic Shipbuilding Promotion Committee, 1912 and 1919
*Railway Administration Inspector General, 1919–1922
Personal life
Engström married Eva Alexandra Karolina née Jansson in 1885. Their only son died in the
Finnish Civil War
The Finnish Civil War; . Other designations: Brethren War, Citizen War, Class War, Freedom War, Red Rebellion and Revolution, . According to 1,005 interviews done by the newspaper ''Aamulehti'', the most popular names were as follows: Civil W ...
in 1918. This made Engström to leave his position as company manager. The couple donated a large sum to be shared as scholarships to young technicians, who were orientated to
shipbuilding
Shipbuilding is the construction of ships and other floating vessels. It normally takes place in a specialized facility known as a shipyard. Shipbuilders, also called shipwrights, follow a specialized occupation that traces its roots to befor ...
and engineering industry.
Sources
*
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Engstrom, Adolf
20th-century Finnish engineers
Finnish people in rail transport
Finnish chief executives
Businesspeople from Helsinki
Engineers from Helsinki
1855 births
1924 deaths