Highlights

History

The Valvilla Factory Museum was established in 1981 in the former fire equipment building of the United Wool Factories. The roots of the Hyvinkää wool factory trace back to 1892, when Ossian Donner (1866–1957) founded the first wool factory in Hyvinkää. It was originally located along what is now Kauppalankatu, but it didn’t succeed there. In 1895, Donner decided to build a new, larger factory building at its current location. After early challenges, the factory grew into Hyvinkää’s largest employer and eventually became the largest wool factory in the Nordic countries.

The first factory building was a carded yarn spinning mill. As the business began to thrive, additional structures were added, including an office, power plant, mending department, and men’s fabric weaving mill. A fire in 1900 led to the installation of a sprinkler system and the construction of a water tower. The factory also established its own fire brigade. The fire equipment building that now houses the museum was completed in the 1920s.

The enterprising Ossian Donner had previously founded a worsted yarn spinning mill and a women’s fabric weaving mill in Helsinki with his brothers. In 1903, these were merged with the Hyvinkää factory. Across from the carded yarn mill, a worsted yarn mill and warehouse were built, giving the factory its present-day appearance. In the early 1920s, a new power plant and dyeing facility were completed. With the new power plant, coal no longer had to be transported through the courtyard, which was then redesigned into a park-like space to improve the area’s aesthetics. Handicraft yarn production began in 1924. One of the most successful product lines of the Wool Association was the Rondo handicraft yarn and knitwear, for which patterns were published in the Ahkeraliisa magazine.

The 1930s are considered the golden era of the United Wool Factories. The factory invested heavily in innovation, acquiring silk weaving machines and introducing screen printing. In this printing method—now known as silk screen printing—color is applied to fabric using stencils. A new printing hall was built in the upper floor of the carded yarn mill, where six 30-meter-long printing tables were installed. Fabrics designed by Aino Aalto for Artek were printed there, and Kaj Franck also headed the printing department for a few years. By 1930, the United Wool Factories produced 24% of Finland’s total wool fabric. Leading up to WWII, the Hyvinkää factory had grown into the country’s largest and most versatile wool factory, employing up to 1,600 people and serving as the city’s largest industrial employer.

In 1959, Villayhtymä Oy was formed, comprising United Wool Factories Oy and Helsinki’s Verkatehdas (Heves) Oy in Hyvinkää, as well as Hämeenlinna Verkatehdas Oy, Västra Nylands Ylle Ab in Tammisaari, Klingendahl Oy, Turun Verka Oy, and Orimattila Wool Factory. At that time, 1,700 people were employed at the Hyvinkää plants.

Villayhtymä went bankrupt in 1969, leading to the establishment of Hyvilla Oy. Under Hyvilla, two main production plants operated in Hyvinkää with spinning, weaving, knitwear, and carpet departments, as well as the company headquarters. Worsted yarn mills were located in Turku and Tampere, with a dyeing plant in Tampere. Known products from the 1960s–70s included Manestra wall-to-wall carpets, Dralon Borealis curtain series, travel blankets, and Elasta fabric containing Lycra. Half of all suit fabrics used in Finland’s ready-to-wear industry were produced by Hyvilla, with men’s suiting fabric sold to brands like Turo.

Facing increasing international competition, the company sought success through subsidiaries such as the laundry service Vitivalko Oy and Teksoglass Oy, which produced fiberglass fabric, skis, and boats. Persistent profitability issues led to the formation of the state-owned Valvilla Oy in 1978. With Valvilla’s creation, headquarters and fabric production were moved to Turku. In Hyvinkää, the Heves factory was closed, and production of knitwear and carpets ceased. From 1982 onward, operations were consolidated within the wool factory complex in Hyvinkää, employing about 500 people at the time.

In 1985, production of handicraft yarns like Rondo was discontinued, and in 1991, factory operations were permanently shut down. Valvilla Oy donated the factory museum, along with its extensive photo collections, fabric sample books, and industrial archives, to the City of Hyvinkää.

Though the wool factory ceased operations after nearly a century, it wasn’t silenced forever—its buildings have since come back to life, one by one, with new tenants moving into the historic industrial spaces.