Tikkurila

 

“Tikkurila Oyj was established in Finland on August 14, 1862 on the bank of the River Keravanjoki, about ten miles to the north of the capital Helsinki. In the course of time, what was once a small oil press has grown into one of the leading paint companies in Northern and Eastern Europe.

 

 

At first, linseeds were compressed into animal feed cakes, and untreated linseed oil was used for surface treatment. Varnish cooking began in 1867, and the manufacture of paints and lacquers in industrial scale in 1919. Extensive marketing and customer training activities, which were started in the 1920s, still continue today. In the 1960s Tikkurila expanded its operations to cover tinting technology

as well, but in 2000 the company returned to its roots – the development, manufacture and marketing of paint.

 

The tale of Tikkurila Oy as we know it today began in the village of Dickursby (Tikkurila) in the Helsinge parish, near the city of Helsinki. The first water mill on the Tikkurilankoski rapids of the River Keravanjoki was built in 1757, and an oil press was established alongside the water mill in 1862. Dickursby Oljeslageri, owned by Lieutenant Colonel Anders Lorentz Munsterhjelm, utilized flax and hemp seeds in its production. Linseed oil was itself a finishing material which could be boiled to produce varnish, a binder for paint.

The original location of the oil press remains ideal in terms of logistics. The original setting has alos allowed the company to expand in its chosen directions. Though the plant no longer stands by the river, the office windows still open out onto a view of the rapids.

Business was international even back in the 1860s, when Finland was a grand duchy of Russia. The borders to the vast Russian empire were open to suppliers of both raw materials and finished products, and close links were also retained with Sweden, Finland’s former mother country.”

We have been using Tikkurila products for over 30 years but were involved with Mark Wilkinson Furniture when they started using specialist paints for kitchen and furniture painting by Tikkurila. The products we use for finishing are Helmi 10 and Helmi 30, the 10 and 30 are the sheen level of each product. We also use the new intact products. Tikkurila Helmi and Intact Furniture and trim paint has high abrasion and chip resistance making it ideal for painting furniture, kitchen cabinets, doors and wooden trim. We have painted hundreds of kitchens using these products and feel they are the best on the market producing a superior finish.