Nokian Tyres is celebrating 120 years of history in 2018 and marking the occasion with a brand redesign.
Nokian was founded in 1898 as Suomen Gummitehdas Osakeyhtiö and manufactured rubber products ranging from hoses to galoshes. Eventually, the company began producing bicycle tires and, in the early years of the 20th century, automobile tires.
“We are proud of our roots and our strong heritage of technical leadership, high-quality products and the Hakkapeliitta Spirit,” said Hille Korhonen, president and CEO, Nokian Tyres. “As experts in challenging conditions, we have been promoting and facilitating safe transport for decades. This is a good foundation for building an even stronger success story together with our personnel, customers and partners.”
The company began to stake a claim to its hallmark products in 1934 with the advent of the world’s first dedicated winter tire. Two years later, the company produced the first iteration of its Hakkapeliitta winter tire, which continues to this day with the newest offering in the line, the Hakkapeliitta R3. The Hakkapeliitta paved the way for international expansion for the company, which now consists of 4,600 employees spread across 60 countries, and has annual sales of around $2 billion.
“We can only remain at the top of the industry through constant development and improvement. This means, for example, expanding outside of the traditional winter tire market and investing in services that make it even easier to take care of your tires,” said Korhonen. “We intend to continue our systematic and sustainable work towards developing innovative solutions and retain our ability to quickly and flexibly adapt to the changes around us.
The company’s new branding was designed to reflect modern sustainable values and Nokian’s Scandinavian origins. In a nod to the company’s history, the new official lettering is inspired by the original 19th century typeface.
