Orthex

Orthex is a Finnish household-products company whose roots date to the 1950s, when entrepreneur Aulis Kallonen began producing plastic items in a family basement. The company became closely associated with the Orthex name after Kallonen’s business acquired the Finnish subsidiary of Danish Orth-Plast in 1956. The acquired operation brought useful moulds and the Orthex name, which was marked on some of the moulds and subsequently adopted by the Finnish company. Production moved from Helsinki to Lohja in 1958, establishing the town as the company’s long-standing industrial base. The early business was built around injection-moulded plastic products and subcontract manufacturing. During the 1960s, Orthex expanded into buckets and wash bowls as plastic increasingly replaced zinc in Finnish households. The company’s practical, mass-market products helped make it a familiar household name. In the early 1980s, management chose to concentrate more explicitly on household goods and worked with designers including Laura Huhtela-Bremer. Product design and functional improvements became important elements of the company’s identity. Orthex broadened its range and geographic reach substantially after majority ownership was sold to Finnish investment company Intera Partners in 2009. It acquired Swedish kitchenware maker Sveico in 2010 and Hammarplast Consumer AB in 2011. These transactions added kitchen utensils and the Hammarplast, Sarvis and SmartStore brands, while also expanding production, sales and distribution across Scandinavia. By the early 2010s, the group had approximately 300 employees and sales of about €60 million, according to contemporary reference material. Sponsor Capital and Orthex’s executive management acquired the company in 2015. The new ownership emphasized internationalization, and Orthex established sales organizations in Germany, France and the United Kingdom in 2016–2017. Its products were subsequently distributed in roughly 40 countries, with the Nordic region remaining the core market. The company sells through retailers and trade chains, including major Central European outlets, rather than relying primarily on a large network of branded stores. Orthex’s portfolio is organized around home and yard products, plant care, storage and kitchenware. Storage products have historically generated the largest share of sales, while GastroMax kitchen products have also represented a substantial business. Important products include buckets, flowerpots, watering cans, mailboxes, storage boxes, kitchen utensils and children’s sleds. The Jäänalle freezer box, launched in 1995, became especially well known in Finland. Its rounded corners, usable shape and allowance for air circulation in freezers were intended as practical design improvements. Contemporary Finnish reporting has described the product and Orthex’s ten-litre bucket as exceptionally widespread in Finnish households. Sustainability and materials development have become increasingly visible parts of Orthex’s strategy. The company has used recycled plastics since the late 2000s, makes its flowerpots and window boxes entirely from recycled plastic according to the reference material, and has also introduced recycled or bio-based materials into selected storage and outdoor products. In 2018, Orthex and Stora Enso announced a food-contact-safe biocomposite using wood fibres and sugar-cane-derived material. The material was used in kitchen products such as cutting boards and utensils. Orthex has stated an ambition to make its production carbon neutral by 2030 through renewable energy, lower waste and greater use of recycled and bio-based feedstocks. Orthex was listed on Nasdaq Helsinki in March 2021 in an offering reported as heavily oversubscribed. The group operates factories in Lohja in Finland and Gnosjö and Tingsryd in Sweden, as well as sales companies and offices in several European countries. It remains an active Nordic consumer-products company focused on f…

Orthex originated with Aulis Kallonen’s early plastic-manufacturing work in the 1950s. His first reported product was a shirt clip used in the packaging of men’s shirts. Kallonen initially operated with a plastic machine in the basement of his family home. His business, Ruisku-Muovi, later undertook subcontract work for Orth-Export, the Finnish subsidiary of Danish Orth-Plast. Orth-Export approached insolvency and was acquired by the Kallonen family in 1956. The acquisition provided moulds and helped establish the Orthex name, an abbreviation that had appeared on Orth-Export moulds. The company moved from Helsinki to Lohja in 1958. During the 1960s it shifted from subcontracting toward its own products, especially plastic buckets and wash bowls. The replacement of traditional zinc buckets with plastic created a large domestic opportunity; the company reportedly sold about one million buckets annually during this period. It expanded its Lohja factory repeatedly and worked with designers such as Väinö A. Valve. In the early 1980s, Orthex concentrated on household goods. Designer Laura Huhtela-Bremer became an important collaborator. Aulis Kallonen remained chief executive until 1995, when his son Kari Kallonen became CEO and Aulis moved into the chairmanship. By 1999, the company reportedly had turnover of FIM 60 million and 91 employees. In 2000, its range comprised about 200 products and 1,760 sales items. A major ownership transition occurred in 2009, when Kari and Tiina Kallonen sold a majority stake to Intera Partners. Under Intera, Orthex pursued acquisition-led expansion. It bought Sveico, a Swedish producer of metal and plastic kitchen utensils, in 2010. In 2011 it acquired Hammarplast Consumer AB, gaining the Hammarplast, Sarvis and SmartStore brands. The acquisitions more than doubled the group’s turnover and created a larger Scandinavian organization. Orthex opened a store in Lohja and reported turnover of approximately €60 million around this period. Sponsor Capital and the management team acquired Orthex in 2015. Alexander Rosenlew continued as CEO. The ownership change supported a stronger internationalization program. Orthex established sales organizations in Germany, France and the United Kingdom in 2016 and 2017, and by 2020 its products were sold in approximately 40 countries. The Nordic countries remained its principal market, accounting for roughly four-fifths of turnover in the 2020 reference period. Product development has combined familiar plastic household goods with material innovation. The Jäänalle freezer box, introduced in 1995, became a Finnish mass-market product. Its design used rounded corners and internal spacing to improve freezing and serving. Orthex also developed bio- and recycled-plastic applications. In 2018, its cooperation with Stora Enso produced a food-grade biocomposite incorporating wood fibres and sugar-cane-derived polyethylene. The material was used in cutting boards and kitchen utensils and was promoted through Finnish and Nordic retail distribution. The group’s industrial footprint includes factories in Lohja, Gnosjö and Tingsryd, with additional sales entities and offices around Europe. Its portfolio spans home and yard, plant care, storage and kitchen products. Orthex became a public company on Nasdaq Helsinki in March 2021. Its current strategic profile combines Nordic household-product heritage, retailer-led international distribution, automated manufacturing and a stated objective of carbon-neutral production by 2030.

1. 2021Nasdaq Helsinki listing

   Orthex became listed on Nasdaq Helsinki in March.

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2. 2018Food-grade biocomposite introduced

   Orthex and Stora Enso developed a wood-fibre and sugar-cane-based material for kitchenware.

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3. 2015Sponsor Capital acquisition

   Sponsor Capital and Orthex’s executive management acquired the company to support internationalization.

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4. 2011Hammarplast Consumer acquired

   The transaction added the Hammarplast, Sarvis and SmartStore brands and expanded Scandinavian operations.

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5. 2010Sveico acquired

   The Swedish kitchenware maker added metal and plastic kitchen utensils to the group.

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6. 2009Intera Partners becomes majority owner

   The Kallonen family sold a majority stake, beginning a period of acquisition-led growth.

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7. 1995Jäänalle freezer box introduced

   Orthex launched the Jäänalle freezer box, later becoming one of its best-known Finnish products.

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8. 1958Production moves to Lohja

   The company relocated from Helsinki to Lohja, which became its principal Finnish manufacturing base.

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9. 1956Kallonen family acquires Orth-Export

   The acquisition gave the Finnish business access to moulds and helped establish the Orthex name.

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Functional, durable and accessible Nordic household products, combining practical design with broad retail availability and increasing use of recycled and bio-based materials.

• JäänalleFreezer storage1995

  A polypropylene freezer box introduced in 1995 and designed with rounded corners and internal clearance to support even freezing and easier serving. It became a highly recognizable Finnish household product, particularly associated with preserving seasonal berries and mushrooms. The container was offered in several sizes, with the half-litre format reported as especially popular.

• SmartStoreStorage

  A family of storage boxes and containers acquired through Hammarplast Consumer. SmartStore products extend Orthex’s offering from everyday household containers to organized home storage, and have supported the company’s expansion through Nordic and European retail channels.

• GastroMaxKitchenware

  A kitchenware brand and product range covering utensils and related kitchen products. GastroMax became a significant part of Orthex’s sales after the group’s expansion in Swedish kitchenware and has included products made with newer bio-composite materials.

• Orthex plant-care productsPlant care

  Flowerpots, window boxes and watering cans for domestic gardening. The company has reported making its flowerpots and window boxes entirely from recycled plastic, making this category a prominent example of its circular-materials work.

• Orthex buckets and wash bowlsHome and yard1960

  Practical moulded-plastic household and outdoor containers that formed the company’s core product base during its expansion in the 1960s. The ten-litre bucket became one of the products associated with Orthex’s widespread presence in Finnish homes.

• Bio-composite kitchenwareKitchenware2018

  Kitchen products developed with Stora Enso using wood fibres and sugar-cane-derived polyethylene. Applications have included cutting boards and utensils. The material was described as food-safe, dishwasher-compatible and recyclable, with the exact fibre proportion varying by product.

• 2021Pursue carbon-neutral production by 2030Strategy

  Orthex identified materials, energy use and manufacturing waste as areas for environmental improvement.

  What changed. The company set a goal of carbon-neutral production by 2030 and highlighted renewable energy, recycled and bio-based materials, and waste reduction.

  Aftermath. The goal became part of Orthex’s public sustainability positioning.

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• 2018Commercialize food-grade biocomposite kitchen productsProduct launch

  Orthex sought alternatives to conventional virgin plastic while retaining suitability for food-contact products.

  What changed. Together with Stora Enso, it developed and launched kitchenware using a wood-fibre and sugar-cane-based biocomposite.

  Aftermath. The products entered Finnish retail and were subsequently distributed through additional Nordic retailers.

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• 2009Begin acquisition-led expansion under Intera PartnersM&A

  After the Kallonen family sold a majority stake to Intera Partners, Orthex sought to accelerate growth and broaden its product portfolio.

  What changed. The group acquired Sveico in 2010 and Hammarplast Consumer in 2011.

  Aftermath. The acquisitions expanded kitchenware, storage and brand assets and increased the group’s Scandinavian scale.

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• 2021Orthex lists on Nasdaq Helsinki

  Orthex completed its public listing on Nasdaq Helsinki in March 2021 after an offering reported as heavily oversubscribed.

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• 2021Orthex expands recycled and bio-based material use

  Reference material reported that a growing share of products made at the Lohja factory used recycled or bio-based materials.

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• 2018Orthex and Stora Enso announce a food-grade biocomposite

  The companies announced a biocomposite based on wood fibres and sugar-cane-derived material for kitchen products.

  Product launch
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1. Orthex
2. Orthex Group