Aarikka is a Finnish company designing and manufacturing home furnishings, decorative items, and personal accessories.[3] It is regarded as an internationally notable Finnish design brand.[4][5][6]

Aarikka Oy
Company typeOsakeyhtiö
Founded1954; 70 years ago (1954) in Helsinki, Finland
FounderKaija Aarikka, Erkki Ruokonen
FateAcquired by Martinex Oy (2017)
Headquarters
Turku, Finland[1]
Key people
Riia Sandström (CEO)[1]
ProductsHousehold items, giftware, personal accessories
Revenuec. EUR 2m[2]
OwnerMartinex Oy
Websitewww.aarikka.com

Founded in 1954 by designers Kaija Aarikka and her husband Erkki Ruokonen, the company started out manufacturing wooden buttons, before expanding into other product categories; wood remains a 'signature' characteristic of Aarikka products.[3][7]

Aarikka store on Esplanadi in Helsinki

Aarikka opened its first retail store in Helsinki in 1960, expanding to 20 outlets by the 1980s.[8]

In 2017, Aarikka was acquired by another Finnish household and gift items manufacturer, Martinex Oy [fi].[9][2] Until then, the company was owned by the Aarikka family, and one of the founders' daughters, Pauliina Aarikka, remains in the business as a designer.[2]

References

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  1. ^ a b "Contact us". Aarikka.com. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
  2. ^ a b c "Raisiolainen Martinex osti Aarikan". Turun Sanomat (in Finnish). 18 April 2017. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
  3. ^ a b "Muotoilija Kaija Aarikka on kuollut" (in Finnish). Yle. 15 August 2014. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
  4. ^ "Helsinki: cruise port guide". The Telegraph. 14 October 2015. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
  5. ^ "Why Finnish design deserves our attention, plus Helsinki Design Week highlights". The Sunday Times. 3 September 2017. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
  6. ^ "Finnish Design in Manufacturing". DiscoveringFinland.com. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
  7. ^ "Aarikan perustaja Kaija Aarikka on kuollut" (in Finnish). MTV Uutiset. 15 August 2014. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
  8. ^ "Kaija Aarikka". BritishMuseum.org. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
  9. ^ "Martinex osti Aarikan: "Tavoitteena pitää olla vähintään myynnin tuplaaminen aivan lähivuosina"". Talouselämä (in Finnish). 1 May 2017. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
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