You are here: Company and Investor information / History in Brief
« Back
History in Brief

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 tire
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 tire production starts
1932 Car tire production starts
1934 The world’s first winter tire for trucks, The Weather tire
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 Tire factory expansion
1974 Production of bicycle tires 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 Tire 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 Tire factory expansions
1998 First own retail sales outlets in Sweden and Latvia, marketing company OOO Nokian Shina in Russia
1999-2000 Own tire 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 tire 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

tires also feature the aquaplaning indicator.

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

2007 Marketing company in Kazakhstan, TOO Nokian Tyres

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

2008 The lightly rolling Nokian Hakkapeliitta R friction tire.

2009 The test winner Nokian Hakkapeliitta 7 studded tire and the Air Claw Technology.
2010 Marketing company in Belarus, Nokian Shina LLC
2011 Marketing company in China, Nokian Tyres Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd.