Finnish Candle Manufacturing Since 1829
Roots in Vyborg
Havi can be regarded as Finland's first industrial chemical production plant. On November 6, 1829, gubernial secretary and wholesale merchant Anton Alfthan began industrial candle production. He established a candle factory at the Kirjola Manor, which he owned, located in the parish of Johannes in the Karelian Isthmus. Previously, candles in Finland had only been made for household use.
Initially, the factory produced only modest quantities of candles, but after its expansion ten years later in 1839, the workforce grew by 20 employees. Alfthan founded a trading company and a brewery in Vyborg and relocated the factory he had built in Kirjola closer to the city and the Havi district, from which Oy Havi Ab got its name.
Around the same time, stearin was introduced as a raw material for candle production alongside tallow. Stearin candles soon became a successful product with Western and Northern Finland serving as the key markets. Exports had begun by 1850.
The Late 1800s
Economic conditions deteriorated in Finland, and in 1863 Havi faced financial difficulties. The bankrupt estate kept the factory running until 1866, when the Vyborg trading house Hackman & Co purchased Alfthan’s factories. To manage the operations, Havin Osakeyhtiö (Havi Ltd.) was established. The purchase included the candle and soap factories, as well as the Pantsarlahti brewery.
In the 1870s, the candle market faced unfavorable conditions and soap production took priority in the factory’s operations. The early 1900s, however, marked a period of stabilization and diversification for the company. Production expanded to include technical chemical and cosmetic products.
The Early 1900s
When the Winter War began, Havi Oy was forced to evacuate its facilities from Vyborg to Riihimäki. In 1928, Havi had acquired a majority share in Oy Teka Ab, which produced technical chemical products in Riihimäki. Thus, it was a natural choice to relocate the factory to the subsidiary’s premises. In 1940, the production of candles and soap resumed, though the war and shortages brought numerous challenges.
Conditions improved in the early 1950s, and the technical chemical industry developed rapidly. Havi’s production grew significantly with an emphasis on soap and detergent manufacturing. Candle production also increased as their use expanded; candles were no longer associated solely with Christmas but became year-round mood enhancers.
From the 1970s to Today
By the 1970s, Havi’s production capacity could no longer meet growing demand, leading to the construction of a new factory in Riihimäki. Havi’s technical chemical operations were sold to the German company Henkel in 1997.
In 1996, candle operations were transferred to Hackman Designor Oy Ab, which sold them in August 1998 to the Swedish company Duni. In 2004 Finnish ownership was restored when Suomen Kerta and family entrepreneur Kalle Huikko repurchased Havi. Following a generational shift in leadership, the company’s new CEO, Linda Schlobohm, officially renamed the company Havi Oy in 2020.
