Oil lamp

Almost all glassworks across Finland produce oil lamp chimneys and shades through glassblowing.

The Iittala glass factory

P. M. Abrahamsson, a Swedish-born glassblower, opens a glass factory in the small village of Iittala, formerly of the municipality of Kalvola.

Incandescent light bulb

Incandescent light bulbs are first used in the Finlayson cotton mill in Tampere, a bustling factory town in Southern Finland.

Iittala glass factory receives its first light bulbs

The first 60 light bulbs provide lighting for the factory’s smoothing room and office. The workers in the blowing house continue to work by the light from the furnace and the molten glass.

Finland relies on imported lighting glassware

The first batches of lighting glassware are imported to Finland.

A. Ahlström Oy

Claes Nordstedt, son of Anders Nordstedt and both factory manager and majority shareholder of the Iittala glass factory since 1897, sells off his company shares to A. Ahlström Group.

Globe production starts in Iittala

The Iittala glass factory starts producing lamp globes. Even though almost all Finnish glassworks have their own globe models in stock, Finland continues to rely on imported products.

Extensive lighting glassware production in Finland

Finland finally becomes self-sufficient in lighting glassware production. Kauklahti glassworks, an Espoo-based company, is the largest producer of lighting glassware in Finland.

The threaded-lip globe standard

Erkki Hyppönen comes up with a national standard for threaded-lip light fixture globes.

Riihimäki glassworks trades out their luminaire production to the Iittala glass factory

Riihimäki glassworks, in turn, takes over Iittala’s crystal glass and pressed glass production.

The Iittala luminaire selection

The Iittala luminaire selection consists of almost 1,000 different globes, many of which are made of tinted glass.

The Iittala glass factory hires Designer Valto “Vate” Kokko (b. 26 May 1933, d. 25 May 2017 in Helsinki). Kokko is tasked with designing new proprietary luminaires for Iittala as well as trimming out and modernising the company’s existing luminaire selection. Kokko designs a brand identity for the selection and comes up with the I-Valo logo.

The I-Valo luminaire factory is completed

I-Valo is managed as a department of the Iittala glass factory. Håkan Söderström, M.Sc. (Tech.), serves as the plant’s property manager before being promoted to Factory Manager. Paavo Paajanen, B.Eng, serves as I-Valo’s product manager.

Concerted effort to develop a high-quality industrial luminaire

I-Valo started looking into the problem of reliable industrial lighting with various individuals who had deep understanding of the subject. The general consensus was that nobody was making a luminaire that would be suitable for harsh industrial conditions. Reliable lighting was a challenge, especially due to:

• dust particles and other impurities in the air,
• corrosion,
• unusual ambient temperatures, and
• mechanical damage.

As this was a problem shared across all industrial facilities, industry representatives were more than willing to work on a common solution.

Industrial luminaire production starts

In 1975, I-Valo received their first order for industrial luminaires from what was then known as Rautaruukki Oy. The order consisted of 250 vertical highbay luminaires with 400 W high-pressure sodium lamps, which would provide light for the company’s steelworks in the town of Raahe. Naturally, the luminaires were equipped with filters and rated for +100 ᵒC momentary and +80 ᵒC continuous ambient temperature.

I-Valo dominates the Finnish industrial lighting industry

In addition to metal industry operators, customers in the forestry industry, especially the pulp and paper sector, had embraced I-Valo’s offering.

The last three years of the decade were a time of booming construction in the paper industry. During this time, as many as 22 paper machines were either constructed or renovated. Four of the machines were equipped with I-Valo’s vertical luminaires and the rest with the company’s Regular-type highbay luminaires. It was soon apparent that no paper machine construction or renovation would be complete without I-Valo’s luminaires providing the lighting for the production hall.

Export sales begin

I-Valo makes its first deliveries to customers outside Finland. The company’s excellent standing among Finnish paper mills drives export sales, as Finnish-owned paper mills in England and France invest in I-Valo’s industrial luminaires. This success can be largely attributed to excellent contacts in the home market.

I-Valo moves house

As part of an internal reorganisation of the Ahlström group, I-Valo becomes part of the group’s construction materials division.

I-Valo procures its globes from the Iittala glass factory; some of the globes are made in house and the rest are imported.

Fame and glory

Later in the same year, I-Valo participates in the BATIMAT construction fair held in Paris and is awarded the gold medal for the best innovation in the lighting category. The selection is made from approximately 3,500 exhibitors from 28 different countries. The silver goes to lighting industry giant Philips.

The Strömfors factory manager takes charge of I-Valo’s business

Paavo Paajanen is appointed Factory Manager at the group’s luminaire factory. Paajanen heads I-Valo for a very long time before finally retiring in 2005.

Factory expansion and increases in export volumes

The late 70s and early 80s were a period of extensive growth for I-Valo. The production halls, which had originally felt cavernous, were filled to the brim with new machines and equipment. Despite production streamlining, the company was looking forward to a factory expansion. Production floor space was increased by 50 per cent, and the company constructed two new floors for additional office space.

I-Valo becomes part of Ahlström Sähkötarvikkeet Oy

In 1994, Ahlström Sähkötarvikkeet Oy is founded, serving as an umbrella for several companies, including the group’s Strömfors factory and I-Valo. The new company is headed by Johan Granberg as managing director. Paavo Paajanen is appointed as I-Valo’s Factory Manager.

I-Valo becomes part of the Lexel Electric group

Lexel is created by merger between Ahlström and NKT, a Danish company. The new group is further bolstered by the acquisition of Sweden-based Thorsman.

The international Schneider Electric group acquires Lexel Electric

Being a Lexel Electric subsidiary, I-Valo becomes part of the Schneider group, originally a French company.

I-Valo becomes I-Valo Oy, an independent company within the group

Factory Manager Paavo Paajanen is appointed Managing Director of I-Valo.

I-Valo’s first LED luminaire

I-Valo launches SOL LED, the company’s first LED luminaire. SOL LED is a general purpose luminaire intended for residential homes and public spaces. The luminaire is selected as the 2010 construction product of the year by the principal committee of the construction material and product information service of the Building Information Group. SOL LED is still available and, thanks to its modular construction, remains a popular option to this day.

The FIT FOR THE FUTURE -concept: pioneering sustainable development

To help their existing customers to make the transition to LED lighting, I-Valo launches two new upgrade kits, LED Retrofit and Service Pack. These kits allow I-Valo’s popular lowbay discharge lamp luminaires to be upgraded into energy-efficient LED luminaires.

I-Valo Oy is acquired by Swedish lighting group Fagerhult

With subsidiaries in 30 countries around the world, Fagerhult is one of the leading groups in the European lighting sector. The company has a presence in more than 40 different countries. Fagerhult has been in the lighting business since 1945.

I-Valo is a household name for high-quality industrial lighting both in Finland and across Europe

I-Valo has customers in more than 40 different countries, its largest exports markets being Sweden, France, Germany, Austria and Poland. Additionally, the company has participated in major projects in Asia and South America by supplying luminaires to equipment manufacturers and made deliveries to the Middle East as part of intra-group co-operation.