History

 

So stop for a moment, enjoy winter, and read the story of the snow and ice champion on our online history website, published to celebrate the 75th anniversary, at www.nokiantyres.com/hakkapeliitta75.

 

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

1959 From Suomen Gummitehdas to Suomen Kumitehdas Oy

1959 Marketing company in Sweden, Finska Gummi AB, later Nokian Däck AB

1967 Nokia Corporation established - Rubber, Cable and Paper Divisions

1968 Tyre factory expansion

1974 Production of bicycle tyres and inner tubes starts in Lieksa

1978 Marketing company in Norway, Norsk Traktorkompani A/S, later Nokian Dekk AS

1980 Marketing company in Canada, Nokia Products Ltd., Canada, later Nokian Tyres North America Ltd., USA)

1981 Tyre factory expansion

1982 Marketing company in Germany, Nokia GmbH, later Nokian Reifen GmbH

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

1989 Marketing company in Switzerland, Nokian Reifen AG, Switzerland

1995 Nokian Tyres plc shares float on the Helsinki Stock Exchange

1996-2001 Tyre factory expansions

1998 First own retail sales outlets in Sweden and Latvia, marketing company OOO Nokian Shina in Russia

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 Marketing company in Ukraine, Nokian Shina TOV. Marketing company in Czech Republic, Nokian Tyres s.r.o.

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 Marketing company in Kazakhstan, TOO Nokian Tyres

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

2008 The lightly rolling Nokian Hakkapeliitta R non-studded winter tyre.

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

2010 Marketing company in Belarus, Nokian Shina LLC

2011 Marketing company in China, Nokian Tyres Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd.

Read more:

• Hakkapeliitta's 75-year history online
• More than 75 years of Nokian winter tyres
• The decades of Hakkapeliitta (pdf) 
• The first Hakkapeliitta tyre is a winner on snowy roads. (Video, mpg file, size 3.9 MB. Audio in Finnish.)
• Over one hundred years of professional skill, inventiveness and will(An article from Hakkapeliitta Spirit, a magazine for Nokian Tyres' personnel.)
• Nokian winter tyres from 1934 to today.(Image collection, pdf.)