History

1846 Mr. R.W.Thomson invents the pneumatic tyre

1886 The first car to use a combustion engine is developed

1898 The Finnish Rubber Works is founded

1904 Factory set up in the town of Nokia

1925 Bicycle tyre production starts

1932 Car tyre production starts

1934 The world’s first winter tyre for trucks, The Weather tyre

1936 The Snow Hakkapeliitta - winner on snowy roads. The launching of legendary Hakkapeliitta winter tyres.

1945 New tyre factory built in Nokia

1967 Nokia Corporation established - Rubber, Cable and Paper Divisions

1968 Tyre factory expansion

1974 Production of bicycle tyres and inner tubes starts in Lieksa

1981 Tyre factory expansion

1986 The world's most northern own test centre in Ivalo, Finnish Lapland, north of the Arctic Circle.

1988 Nokian Tyres Limited established as a joint-venture company

1995 Nokian Tyres plc shares float on the Helsinki Stock Exchange

1996-2001 Tyre factory expansions

1998 The first own tyre outlets were established in Sweden and Latvia

1999-2000 Own tyre chain expanded to Finland and Estonia --> launch of Vianor name started

2002 A new Logistics centre was established in Nokia

2003 Nokia's ownership in Nokian Tyres ended; Bridgestone Europe NV/SA became the largest shareholder.

2005 Nokian Tyres' second factory started production in Vsevolozhsk, Russia.

2005 Naturally Nokian Tyres. The first tyre manufacturer in the world to start using only purified, lowaromatic oils in its production.

2006 Sales company in Ukraine

2006 The aquaplaning indicator. In addition to the Driving Safety Indicator, the Nokian Hakka summer

tyres also feature the aquaplaning indicator.

2006 Nokian Forest Rider forestry tyre. The first radial forestry tyre for CTL (cut-to-length) forestry machines.

2007 Sales company in Kazakhstan

2007 Nokian Hakkapeliitta Truck E. Hakkapeliitta tyres also for heavyweight professional driving.

2008 The lightly rolling Nokian Hakkapeliitta R friction tyre.

2009 The test winner Nokian Hakkapeliitta 7 studded tyre and the Air Claw Technology.

A Snow-Hakkapeliitta poster from 1936.

More information: