Fiskars Group (also known as Fiskars Oyj Abp or Fiskars Corporation, and until 1998 as Fiskars Oy Ab) is a Finnish group company. The company has its roots in the village of
Fiskars
Fiskars Group (also known as Fiskars Oyj Abp or Fiskars Corporation, and until 1998 as Fiskars Oy Ab) is a Finnish group company. The company has its roots in the village of Fiskars (in the town of Raseborg, about west of Helsinki), where it ...
(in the town of
Raseborg
Raseborg ( fi, Raasepori) is a town (administrative area) and municipality of Finland. It was created on January 1, 2009, when the municipalities of Ekenäs, Karis and Pohja were consolidated into a single town. Of these, Ekenäs now serves as ...
, about west of
Helsinki
Helsinki ( or ; ; sv, Helsingfors, ) is the capital, primate, and most populous city of Finland. Located on the shore of the Gulf of Finland, it is the seat of the region of Uusimaa in southern Finland, and has a population of . The city ...
), where it was founded in 1649. The oldest business still operating in
Finland
Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of B ...
,
its global headquarters are in the
Arabianranta
Arabianranta (; sv, Arabiastranden; literally meaning the "shore of Arabia"), sometimes simply Arabia, is a residential part of Helsinki, Finland. It is bound by Vanhankaupunginlahti bay from east, and connects to neighboring boroughs of Va ...
district of Helsinki. It is
one of the oldest companies in the world.
The company has operated in various sectors over the decades. Fiskars was formerly best known for its orange-handled
scissors, which were created in 1967. More than one billion were sold by 2010.
In 2019, its products related to the home,
outdoor activities
Outdoor recreation or outdoor activity refers to recreation done outside, most commonly in natural settings. The activities that encompass outdoor recreation vary depending on the physical environment they are being carried out in. These activiti ...
,
interior decoration
Interior design is the art and science of enhancing the interior of a building to achieve a healthier and more aesthetically pleasing environment for the people using the space. An interior designer is someone who plans, researches, coordin ...
and
table setting
Table setting (laying a table) or place setting refers to the way to set a table with tableware—such as eating utensils and for serving and eating. The arrangement for a single diner is called a place setting. It is also the layout in which ...
. Its key brands today include Fiskars,
Iittala
Iittala, founded as a glassworks in 1881, is a Finnish design brand specialising in design objects, tableware and cookware. Iittala's official i-logo was designed by Timo Sarpaneva in 1956.
Iittala has strong design roots in glasswares and art gl ...
,
Royal Copenhagen
Royal Copenhagen, officially the Royal Porcelain Factory ( da, Den Kongelige Porcelænsfabrik), is a Danish manufacturer of porcelain products and was founded in Copenhagen in 1775 under the protection of Danish Dowager Queen Juliane Marie. It i ...
,
Wedgwood
Wedgwood is an English fine china, porcelain and luxury accessories manufacturer that was founded on 1 May 1759 by the potter and entrepreneur Josiah Wedgwood and was first incorporated in 1895 as Josiah Wedgwood and Sons Ltd. It was rapid ...
and
Waterford
"Waterford remains the untaken city"
, mapsize = 220px
, pushpin_map = Ireland#Europe
, pushpin_map_caption = Location within Ireland##Location within Europe
, pushpin_relief = 1
, coordinates ...
.
The Finnish marketing magazine ''Markkinointi & Mainonta'' found that Fiskars' brands are regularly among Finland's most valued brands.
History
The early stages (1649–1915)
Fiskars Corporation was formed in 1649, when a merchant named Peter Thorwöste was given a charter by
Christina, Queen of Sweden
Christina ( sv, Kristina, 18 December (New Style) 1626 – 19 April 1689), a member of the House of Vasa, was Queen of Sweden in her own right from 1632 until her abdication in 1654. She succeeded her father Gustavus Adolphus upon his death a ...
, to establish a
blast furnace and forging operation in the small village of
Fiskars
Fiskars Group (also known as Fiskars Oyj Abp or Fiskars Corporation, and until 1998 as Fiskars Oy Ab) is a Finnish group company. The company has its roots in the village of Fiskars (in the town of Raseborg, about west of Helsinki), where it ...
; however, he was not permitted to produce cannons. This makes it the oldest privately owned company in Finland. From the outset, the company manufactured products for consumers, industry and agriculture. The furnace produced
pig iron that was shingled to
wrought iron
Wrought iron is an iron alloy with a very low carbon content (less than 0.08%) in contrast to that of cast iron (2.1% to 4%). It is a semi-fused mass of iron with fibrous slag inclusions (up to 2% by weight), which give it a wood-like "grain" ...
in the
finery forge
A finery forge is a forge used to produce wrought iron from pig iron by decarburization in a process called "fining" which involved liquifying cast iron in a fining hearth and removing carbon from the molten cast iron through oxidation. Finery ...
s powered by
water wheel
A water wheel is a machine for converting the energy of flowing or falling water into useful forms of power, often in a watermill. A water wheel consists of a wheel (usually constructed from wood or metal), with a number of blades or bucket ...
s. In the early years, Fiskars made nails, wire, hoes, and metal-reinforced wheels from wrought iron.
In the late eighteenth century,
copper
Copper is a chemical element with the symbol Cu (from la, cuprum) and atomic number 29. It is a soft, malleable, and ductile metal with very high thermal and electrical conductivity. A freshly exposed surface of pure copper has a pinkis ...
was discovered in nearby Orijärvi, and thus the focus of production shifted to processing copper from the Orijärvi mine. For almost 80 years, Fiskars' main source of business came from copper, but by the nineteenth century there was little copper left in Orijärvi.
In 1822, the apothecary
Johan Jacob Julin (later, von Julin) from
Turku
Turku ( ; ; sv, Åbo, ) is a city and former capital on the southwest coast of Finland at the mouth of the Aura River, in the region of Finland Proper (''Varsinais-Suomi'') and the former Turku and Pori Province (''Turun ja Porin lääni''; ...
acquired the Fiskars ironworks and village. During this time, the ironworks were actively developed and production focused on processing iron. In 1832, the first cutlery mill in Finland was founded in Fiskars, with the production range increasing from knives to include
fork
In cutlery or kitchenware, a fork (from la, furca 'pitchfork') is a utensil, now usually made of metal, whose long handle terminates in a head that branches into several narrow and often slightly curved tine (structural), tines with which one ...
s and
scissors.
After Julin's death, the company became a limited liability company called Fiskars Aktiebolag in 1883. Von Julin’s youngest son,
Albert von Julin, took over the management of the company.
In 1915, Fiskars was listed on the
Helsinki Stock Exchange
The Nasdaq Helsinki, formerly known as the Helsinki Stock Exchange ( fi, Helsingin Pörssi, sv, Helsingforsbörsen), is a stock exchange located in Helsinki, Finland. Since 3 September 2003, it has been part of Nasdaq Nordic (previously called ...
.
1916–1999
Plow production was at its peak in the 1930s, with over a million plows made. The Fiskars Kymppi plow was the most famous of these.
Fiskars made many plastic products in the 1960s, including the first ergonomic plastic-handled scissors the company is perhaps best known for.
The scissors were designed by Olof Bäckström, and the first pair was manufactured in 1967. There were prototypes with handles in black, red, green and orange. After an internal vote at Fiskars, the orange color was chosen.
Between 1967 and 2010, over a billion units of these orange-handled scissors were sold.
The design has changed slightly over time, and in addition to orange, the scissors are manufactured in other colors as well.
In 1972, Fiskars was the first company in the world to start mass-production of left-handed ergonomic scissors, which can be identified by their red color.
In 1977, Fiskars founded a scissors factory in the United States to provide a basis for international trade and further expansion.
2000–
Fiskars Orange was officially registered as a trademark in Finland in 2003 and in the US in 2007.
Fiskars acquired Iittala Group in the summer of 2007; the value of the transaction was EUR 230 million. The brands owned by Iittala were Arabia, Hackman, BodaNova, Höganäs Keramik, Rörstrand and Høyang-Polaris. With the acquisition, Fiskars became the Nordic market leader in home products. Fiskars also acquired French Leborgne, which strengthened the company's position in the kitchenware and tabletop categories, as well as the garden tools business.
The acquisition of Royal Copenhagen A/S in 2013 complemented Fiskars' tableware offering with hand-painted porcelain. The company, founded by the Danish royalty in 1775, cost EUR 66 million. Royal Copenhagen was a leading brand in hand-painted porcelain in countries such as Japan.
In 2015, Fiskars acquired the
Waterford Wedgwood group of companies (WWRD) from a US private equity investor. The acquired brands included Waterford, Wedgwood, Royal Doulton, Royal Albert and Rogaška. The transaction was worth EUR 406 million, and it more than doubled Fiskars' net sales. The number of personnel also increased by almost 50%.
In September 2015, Fiskars celebrated 100 years of being listed on the Nasdaq Helsinki Stock Exchange, along with
Nokia
Nokia Corporation (natively Nokia Oyj, referred to as Nokia) is a Finnish multinational telecommunications, information technology, and consumer electronics corporation, established in 1865. Nokia's main headquarters are in Espoo, Finland, i ...
,
Wärtsilä
Wärtsilä Oyj Abp (), trading internationally as Wärtsilä Corporation, is a Finnish company which manufactures and services power sources and other equipment in the marine and energy markets. The core products of Wärtsilä include technolo ...
and
UPM.
Fiskars recorded net sales of 1,105 million euros and an adjusted operating profit of 65.1 million euros. Cash flow from operating activities was 47.6 million euros.
In 2016, Fiskars opened the Iittala & Arabia Design Center in Helsinki, which presents the story of the brands and organizes activities. Fiskars recorded net sales of 1,204.6 million euros and an adjusted operating profit of 93.8 million euros. Cash flow from operating activities was 83.8 million euros.
As Finland's oldest company, Fiskars was honored to ring the closing bell of the Nasdaq stock exchange in New York's Times Square on the last trading day of the year on Friday, December 30, 2016. The ringing celebrated Finland's 100th anniversary.
In early 2017, Fiskars Group abandoned its regional organizational structure and formed two strategic business units: Living and Functional. In addition to the English & Crystal Living business, the Scandinavian Living business was included in SBU Living. SBU Functional was formed of the Fiskars, Gerber and Gilmour brands and the Outdoor business. An exhibition was held at the
Helsinki Design Museum to mark the 50th anniversary of Fiskars' orange-handled scissors.
In April, 2020 Fiskars Group President and
CEO Jaana Tuominen stepped down from her position with
CFO
The chief financial officer (CFO) is an officer of a company or organization that is assigned the primary responsibility for managing the company's finances, including financial planning, management of financial risks, record-keeping, and financ ...
Sari Pohjonen appointed interim CEO.
In 2019, Fiskars sold Leborgne. Fiskars announced that it would release a collection of gardening clothing. The Fiskars by Maria Korkeila collection will be launched at the
Pitti Uomo Pitti Immagine is a collection of fashion industry events in Italy.
Pitti Immagine Uomo
Pitti Uomo (in English, "Pitti Men"), is one of the world's most important platforms for men's clothing and accessory collections, and for launching new projec ...
Fashion Fair in Italy in January 2020.
Business units, brands and products
The company operates as an integrated consumer goods company. In 2019, Fiskars has two strategic business units: SBU Living and SBU Functional.
In 2018, Fiskars' key brands were Fiskars, Gerber, Iittala, Royal Copenhagen, Waterford and Wedgwood.
Fiskars’ products are available in more than 100 countries.
Fiskars headquarters are located at Fiskars Campus in the Arabianranta district of Helsinki.
Living
SBU Living offers a wide range of products for tabletop, giftware and interior décor.
The business is divided into two parts:
*Scandinavian Living brands include:
**
Arabia
The Arabian Peninsula, (; ar, شِبْهُ الْجَزِيرَةِ الْعَرَبِيَّة, , "Arabian Peninsula" or , , "Island of the Arabs") or Arabia, is a peninsula of Western Asia, situated northeast of Africa on the Arabian Plat ...
(homeware products; Finland)
**
Iittala
Iittala, founded as a glassworks in 1881, is a Finnish design brand specialising in design objects, tableware and cookware. Iittala's official i-logo was designed by Timo Sarpaneva in 1956.
Iittala has strong design roots in glasswares and art gl ...
(homeware products; Finland)
**
Royal Copenhagen
Royal Copenhagen, officially the Royal Porcelain Factory ( da, Den Kongelige Porcelænsfabrik), is a Danish manufacturer of porcelain products and was founded in Copenhagen in 1775 under the protection of Danish Dowager Queen Juliane Marie. It i ...
(porcelain; Denmark)
**
Rörstrand
Rörstrand porcelain was one of the most famous Swedish porcelain manufacturers, with production initially at Karlbergskanalen in Birkastan in Stockholm.
History
The Rörstrand waterfront site was first documented in the 13th century, whe ...
(porcelain; Sweden)
* Irish and English& Crystal Living brands include:
**
Waterford
"Waterford remains the untaken city"
, mapsize = 220px
, pushpin_map = Ireland#Europe
, pushpin_map_caption = Location within Ireland##Location within Europe
, pushpin_relief = 1
, coordinates ...
(crystal products; Ireland)
**
Wedgwood
Wedgwood is an English fine china, porcelain and luxury accessories manufacturer that was founded on 1 May 1759 by the potter and entrepreneur Josiah Wedgwood and was first incorporated in 1895 as Josiah Wedgwood and Sons Ltd. It was rapid ...
(porcelain; Great Britain)
**
Royal Albert (porcelain; England)
**
Royal Doulton
Royal Doulton is an English ceramic and home accessories manufacturer that was founded in 1815. Operating originally in Vauxhall, London, and later moving to Lambeth, in 1882 it opened a factory in Burslem, Stoke-on-Trent, in the centre of Engl ...
(homeware products; England)
Other, locally known brands owned by Fiskars in 2019 were:
*
Hackman (cookware, cutlery; Nordic countries)
*
Kitchen Devils (kitchen knives; England)
*
Rogaška (crystal; Slovenia)
Functional
SBU Functional creates tools for use in and around the home, for example in the garden and outdoors. The unit's brands include:
*
Fiskars
Fiskars Group (also known as Fiskars Oyj Abp or Fiskars Corporation, and until 1998 as Fiskars Oy Ab) is a Finnish group company. The company has its roots in the village of Fiskars (in the town of Raseborg, about west of Helsinki), where it ...
(household goods, garden tools, craft tools)
*
Gerber Legendary Blades
Gerber Legendary Blades is an American maker of knives, multitools, and other tools for outdoors and military headquartered in Portland, Oregon. Gerber is owned by the Finnish outdoors products company Fiskars. Gerber was established in 1939 by ...
(knives and multi-function tools)
*
Gilmour (watering products, garden hoses, faucets and connectors)
In Finland, the garden tools are manufactured by Fiskars Brands Finland's factories in Pinjainen, near the
Billnäs ironworks. The factories also manufacture other products, such as scissors and axes. The majority of product development activities are also based in Pinjainen, but there is a separate product development unit in the United States as well.
Other
Fiskars’ three primary reporting segments are Living, Functional and Other. The Other segment contains the corporate headquarters, shared services and investments; Fiskars' other business includes real estate operations.
They include of land and forests and the maintenance of several properties. The company owns areas around Fiskars Village and in Hankoniemi, among others. In 2019, there were of water areas.
Major owners
Fiskars shares are quoted on the
Helsinki Stock Exchange
The Nasdaq Helsinki, formerly known as the Helsinki Stock Exchange ( fi, Helsingin Pörssi, sv, Helsingforsbörsen), is a stock exchange located in Helsinki, Finland. Since 3 September 2003, it has been part of Nasdaq Nordic (previously called ...
. Among the major shareholders of the company are investment companies of the
Ehrnrooth
The Ehrnrooth family is a Finnish noble family of German origin. It originated from Pomerania, and came to Finland from Livonia around 1600. Its status descends from Johan Plagman (1623–1696), who was raised to nobility in 1687. The family was ...
family.
Major shareholders (as of September 30, 2019):
#Virala Oy Ab, 15.4%
#Turret Oy Ab, 12.6%
#Holdix Oy Ab, 12.4%
#Bergsrådinnan Sophie von Julins Foundation, 3.1%
#Oy Julius Tallberg Ab, 3.1%
#
Varma Mutual Pension Insurance Company, 3.0%
#Gripenberg Gerda Margareta Lindsay Db, 2.4%
#von Julin Sofia Margareta dödsbo, 1.9%
#Ehrnrooth Jacob Robert Göran, 1.4%
#
Ilmarinen Mutual Pension Insurance Company
Ilmarinen (), the Eternal Hammerer, blacksmith and inventor in the ''Kalevala'', is a god and archetypal artificer from Finnish mythology. He is immortal and capable of creating practically anything, but is portrayed as being unlucky in love. He i ...
, 1.4%
Social responsibility
In 2017, Fiskars celebrated Finland's centenary by donating the historically valuable Dagmar park in Källviken to
Metsähallitus
Metsähallitus (Finnish) (Forststyrelsen in Swedish, Meahciráđđehus in Sami, ''"the (Finnish) Forest Administration"'') is a state-owned enterprise in Finland.
Its two main tasks are Parks & Wildlife Finland to manage most of the protected are ...
for a hundred years. The nominal annual rent for the area of approximately is one euro. The area includes natural forests, natural sandy beaches, cliffs, sea, and the Dagmar fountain. On the initiative of Fiskars, the area became an official
nature conservation area.
In 2019, Fiskars began selling used Iittala and Arabia tableware in its own stores. Dishes unsuitable for sale are sent for recycling and reuse, for example, as material for the construction industry, as brick powder or as insulation material. Used ceramic and glass dishes by other manufacturers can also be brought to the stores for recycling.
References
External links
*
{{Authority control
1649 establishments in Sweden
Companies established in 1649
Companies listed on Nasdaq Helsinki
Industrial design firms
Finnish brands
Garden tool manufacturers
Striking tool manufacturers
Knife manufacturing companies
Organisations based in Raseborg
Tool manufacturing companies of Finland