Bituminous roofing materials since 1920
The roofing felt industry had started in Finland in the 1870s, and production capacity grew rapidly as the new century approached. Roofing felt competed with sheet metal and shingles as a roofing material. Fire safety regulations added to the popularity of roofing felt at the turn of the century.
In the years following Finland’s independence, Asfallti Osakeyhtiö Lemminkäinen developed strongly and the timing was right for the company to commence its own roofing felt production. A new roofing felt factory was built on Fredriksbergs Street (since renamed Aleksis Kiven Street) in Helsinki, and production started up in the spring of 1920. Most of the roofing materials manufactured by Lemminkäinen ended up on the building sites of the company’s shareholders.
Tar Boy was born
The marketing of the new roofing material was handled with care, and the aim right from the start was to create a positive brand image for Lemminkäinen’s roofing felt products. As a result, Lemminkäinen’s Tar Boy brand was born in 1920. In the original Tar Boy emblem the asphalt carrier braces his stance with two buckets of steaming asphalt dangling from a yoke on his shoulders. The two rolls of roofing felt beneath his feet are a reminder of the company’s new product. Over time, the Tar Boy established itself as the emblem of the entire company.
90 years of roofing materials
The production of bituminous roofing materials began in relatively primitive conditions on Aleksis Kiven Street. In 1929 a new factory was built on the same site and the manufacture of roofing and lining felts continued there until 1954. At that time the hopelessly outdated factory was replaced by a new production plant, which was built at Lohja. Modernised several times over the years, the Lohja plant continues Lemminkäinen’s almost 90-year tradition as a producer of roofing materials. The factory’s products are shipped to customers not only in Finland but also in Sweden, Poland, the Baltic States, Russia and other countries.