Fiskars
Jakob Wolle, the owner of the Antskog works, borrows money from a shrewd businessman from Holland, Peter Thorwörste, in order to expand his ironworks. Wolle is unable to pay back the loan and the ironworks becomes Thorwöste's property. In 1649 Thorwöste was given permission to manufacture cast iron and forged products in Fiskars. The blast furnace had closed down in 1802 and Fiskars had ceased to be a primary producer of iron.
Johan Jacob Julin (later von Julin), a pharmacist from Turku, buys Fiskars in 1822. During this time considerable reforms took place. Julin energetically begins to develop the iron works. The pharmacist from Turku had a school and a hospital built, turned Fiskars into a model farm and gathered information on fine iron forging during his travels in Sweden and Britain. He founds Finland's first machine workshop for the manufacturing of steam engines. During his era, Fiskars becomes well known for its agricultural machinery and household utensils. The name Fiskars becomes synonymous with quality. After the death of J.J. Julin in 1883, the works is managed by a guardianship administration. Power gradually becomes consolidated in the hands of Emil Lindsay Julin, and the Fiskars limited liability company is founded. Productivity is improved by developing better steel refining methods and by renovating the Åminnefors rolling mill in 1918. Product range is expanded, and Finland's first metal spring factory is established. The company buys the Inha ironworks in Ähtäri, Billnäs Bruks Ab and Oy Ferraria Ab.
The Finnish economy suffers from the 1929 stock exchange crash and Fiskars' growing investments come to an abrupt halt. The impact lasts until the mid-1930s when a new upward trend begins. After the Second World War Fiskars puts to effect the planned transformation of the small-scale corporate structure into something better suited to mass production. The orange-colored plastic scissors are today one of Fiskars' best-known products. The fact that they are in orange is purely coincidental. The year is 1967 and the first prototypes are heading for production. The designer wants the scissors in black, red or green. As the prototype is sent for manufacturing, the assembler decides to use the orange color already in his set of tools. So the prototype comes in four colors, of which the orange and the black scissors are favorites. The final decision must be made: have the scissors in orange or black? An internal voting session at Fiskars settles the matter and so the orange scissors are born.
Today the company is organized into a number of business units based on product areas. Fiskars is best known for its consumer products, such as scissors and garden products, of which many have received several design awards. Fiskars' long tradition with boats continues with Inha Works manufacturing aluminum recreational and fishing boats. (Fiskars, 2001)
Fiskars produce several special tools. Here a fish scissor.