Cleanliness is our common cause
We joined forces and became the leading Finnish expert in the cleaning business.
Cleanliness is our common cause
The first soap-related information dates back to 2500 BC, when soap was used for washing wool in Mesopotamia. Soap is reputed to be one of the first products ever to have been marketed. In the last few years of the 19th century in England, somebody got the idea of wrapping the soap in a package, giving it a well-considered name, and starting to advertise the new product with posters and in newspapers. KiiltoClean and Farmos products are part of Finnish hygiene and sanitation history. One of the first large-scale consumer products was Toro, a well-known cleaning agent for dairy equipment. In the field of institutional cleaning, disinfecting all-purpose cleaning powder Aspi used to be a prominent name. In the 1960s, the household laundry was washed by ‘water and Visko – vitivalkoista vaivatta’ – or pure white without effort, according to the slogan. After Visko came Serto, which to this day is one of the most popular laundry-washing agents. At the turn of the millennium, a clean home started to attract different attention when a new product series was developed for Finnish households – Kiilto home-care products. At the beginning of 2011, we continue to make history: KiiltoClean and Farmos are joining forces to become a stronger-than-ever Finnish expert in the cleaning business. We want to develop and grow alongside our customers – far into the future.
3
Where did it all begin? Kiilto grew from a small techno-chemical plant
The history of Kiilto goes back to 1919, when the techno-chemical plant Teknokemiallinen Tehdas O/Y Santalahti was founded in Pispala, Tampere. At first, the plant manufactured cosmetics items for pharmacies; paints, polishes, waxes, and glues for shoe factories; and spirit varnishes and polishes – polishing liquids – for furniture-sellers. In 1924, the company’s name was changed to Kiilto Oy. Throughout its operation, the company has been owned by the Solja family. Examples of the products manufactured by Kiilto for furniture factories in the late 1920s include furniture-polishing liquid, spirit varnishes, and Loisto polishing wax. Teknokemiallinen Tehdas O/Y Santalahti started its operations in Pispala in 1919.
- KiiltoClean 4
Farmos emerged from the pharmaceutical industry The origins of Farmos lie in the pharmaceutical industry – more precisely, in Lääke Oy, established in 1947. For many years, Lääke Oy developed medical and techno-chemical products side by side. In 1952, Lääke Oy acquired Salon Saippua Oy, which became the company’s techno-chemical department. The customer base consisted of mainly farms, dairies, and slaughterhouses.
Sinetti soap was packaged in the Salo soap factory.
Lääke Oy started its operations at this property, located in Salo.
- Farmos 5
New factories Cleaning-agent manufacture began in Hankasalmi The Hankasalmi production plant was built in 1976, when Primator Oy, later acquired by Kiilto, started manufacturing its cleaning-agent and surface-care products there. After KiiltoClean was founded, in 2003, Kiilto’s cleaning-agent and surface-care product manufacture was moved fully to Hankasalmi.
The Hankasalmi factory ready for cleaning-agent deliveries.
- KiiltoClean 6
A significant increase came in factory capacity The Farmos aerosol plant was founded in 1953, and production started the following year. In 1958, construction of a new plant began in Räntämäki, Turku, for production of animal feed, washing agents, cosmetics, and fine soap products. Lääke Oy’s new factory was completed in 1972. The now vacant premises were used for
Farmos’s solvent factory, which concentrated on liquid washing agent production. At the same time, the expansion and renewal work for the soap powder factory began. The new washing agent factory was completed in Räntämäki in 1958. Visko was a famous laundry-washing agent brand of the day.
- Farmos 7
Cleaning agents began their triumphal march Cleaning agents were added to Kiilto’s product range
In the 1960s, Kiilto had made a strategic decision to concentrate on glue production. In 1983, surface-cleaning and surface-care products became part of the product range, when chemical production operations, including casting resin and Sarena washing agent production lines, were acquired from Aaltosen Tehtaat Oy / Sarvis. A separate sales organisation was established in Kiilto, and development work for new products began.
Kiilto’s cleaning-agent and surface-care business was started with Sarena products.
- KiiltoClean 8
Cleaning-agent marketing started
Laundry-washing agents for laundries were available in packages of 25 kg.
The name Farmos was introduced in 1958, when the company’s medical and techno-chemical operations were separated. The 1960s saw a separate organisation created for Farmos for large-scale consumer marketing and sales purposes. The large consumer department contributed to the founding of Finland’s association of cleaning business (Suomen Siivoustekninen Yhdistys) and the industry’s first trade magazine, Siivoussektori. Detergent marketing began in earnest in the 1960s. Both powder and liquid cleaning agents were produced.
The production of aerosols increased significantly in the 1950s and 1960s.
- Farmos 9
Quality on the environment’s terms Quality and environment considerations were introduced in the company’s operations In the early 1990s, a holistic quality-focused approach was created as the basis of operations. Thus all Kiilto workers take quality and safety issues into consideration in all areas of operation. In 1993, the Finnish standardisation association SFS granted Kiilto an ISO 9001 quality management certificate. In the chemical industry, a new kind of activity arose for environmental issues. Kiilto participated actively in this development, as well: in 1991, en-
vironment protection guidelines were introduced for product packages, in 1992 the company committed itself to the Responsible Care initiative of the chemical industry, and in 1998 the first Kiilto cleaning agents bearing a Nordic Eco-label were published. Sheep greet the passers-by in the summertime along road 9 in their pen in the Hankasalmi production plant’s yard. At the same time, they maintain the yard in an ecologically sound manner.
- KiiltoClean 10
Fosfaatittomien pesuaineiden valmistus alkaa
The environment became the top priority The introduction of ISO standards meant a significant change in the 1990s. All of the Farmos operations were certified in accordance with the ISO 9001 quality management standard and the ISO 14001 environmental management standard. At this time, Farmos committed itself to the Responsible Care programme, as well. The company was certified to the newest standard, OHSAS 18001 TTT (on occupational health and work safety), for its management system in 2010.
Nowadays, environmental considerations are clearly visible in the new liquid Serto concentrated laundry-washing agent, which is packed in a transparent bottle using less plastic.
- Farmos 11
Cleanliness for consumers A clean home is attractive To complement the professional cleaning agents and surface-care products, Kiilto home-care products were launched in 1999. The new products were promoted with the aid of prominent ad campaigns, and Kiilto cleaning agents became a familiar sight on the shelves of grocers.
Kiilto’s home-care product range includes cleaning agents and surface-care products for all surfaces in the household.
- KiiltoClean 12
Gentle care from head to toes Ever since the 1960s, cleaning agents for household use have been manufactured. Serto, Visko, and Suit-Sait were popular brands of this type already at that time. Nowadays, the product range for consumers from Farmos has expanded to include home-care and personal hygiene products. The Erisan line for care of sensitive skin is celebrating its 15th anniversary, and it is the most extensive skin-care line to have been granted the Allergy label by the Finnish Allergy and Asthma Federation. Other examples of traditional brands are Linna shampoos and Erioil lotions.
Farmos manufactures high-quality, safe Finnish products for households’ laundry tasks and personal hygiene needs.
- Farmos 13
New companies and owners KiiltoClean Oy was established At the end of 2002, Kiilto acquired all shares of Primator Oy. Primator had been founded under the name of Siivouskone Oy in 1963 for the import of cleaning machines and agents. Siivouskone Oy was established by honorary mining counsellors Sven Fazer, Sven-Erik Ro-
senlew, and R. Erik Serlachius. KiiltoClean Oy was founded in early 2003, when Primator Oy’s and Kiilto’s cleaning-agent and surface-cleaning operations were combined in a single company.
- KiiltoClean 14
Reorganisation of operations Farmos operations were centralised in the early 1990s in the Noiro large-scale consumer unit, owned by Orion. The Noiro name was changed in 2005 to Lumene Group. This unit was combined with the Erisan hospital hygiene department, Kemiansalpa Oy, a manufacturer of Siisto cleaning products from Hollola, and Karkone Oy, a company marketing cleaning machines. The Farmos name was ex-
tended to apply to all of these groups. In 2003, Orion sold Noiro to capital investment company CapMan. Farmos’s Russian sales operations were expanded, as a production plant was built in 2004 in Sertolovo, near St Petersburg. Soon, subsidiaries in Russia and the Baltic countries had begun operations. In 2008, Farmos separated itself from Lumene and became an independent company.
- Farmos 15
The separate roads of KiiltoClean and Farmos were united in August 2010, when KiiltoClean acquired all shares in Farmos from CapMan Oyj. Two Finnish cleaning experts joined forces and continue together as KiiltoClean Oy.
The future is created together 16
A leading Finnish supplier of hygiene and cleaning solutions KiiltoClean is a leading Finnish supplier of cleaning and hygiene solutions, and an internationally strong operator. Our product range includes washing, cleaning, and surface-care agents, along with hygiene products and industrial chemicals. Our customers are industries that require high levels of cleanliness and hygiene, such as primary production, the food industry, the laundry industry, institutional kitchens and restaurants, health care, professional cleaning, and the metal and wood processing industry.
Kiilto is our most important brand.
In addition, we manufacture hygiene products and household washing and cleaning agents for consumer use. Besides Finland, KiiltoClean products are marketed in Russia, the Baltic states, Sweden, Poland, and Ukraine. KiiltoClean is the only Western cleaning company with its own production plant in Russia.
17
We combine our expertise for the benefit of the customer We want to be a more versatile partner for our clients than before, which is possible with the help of more extensive know-how and a broader product range. KiiltoClean has a long tradition
as a strong family enterprise, and it enables longterm, trustworthy, and solid co-operation with the customer.
18
We consider cleanliness a matter of honour Our products are developed and manufactured safely and with consideration for the environment. We are a Finnish company and highly familiar with Finnish conditions, the customer needs, and the requirements set for the products.
19
PEFC/02-31-162
441 612 Painotuote
KiiltoClean Oy, Forssaprint 11/2010
Box 157, FI-20101 TURKU, Finland tel. +358 (0)207 710 400 www.kiiltoclean.fi
