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Nordkalk’s first 125 years

On this Sunday coming, the 26 November, it will be exactly 125 years from the day the company was founded. A lot has happend during these 125 years, in the world as well in the company; the timeline shows only a very short version of our story.

Here’s how the story begun:
“Otto Moberg, farmer and limestone producer in Pargas, looked up from the newspaper, just over a week old, that he had found on the shelf and looked out of the windows of the steamer’s saloon at the shores passing by outside. He lit a cigar and leaned back in his comfortable armchair. The steamer von Döbeln thudded steadily on through the archipelago on its way to Helsinki, an autumn day in early October 1898.

Only a couple of weeks earlier, he had made the bargain of his life: he had bought the Limberg farm in Pargas, 54 hectares in all, with the limestone quarry belonging to it and a share in Parsby cooperative limestone quarry. It was his intention to concentrate the production of limestone in the village and make it more efficient.

But in order to be able to build up a major enterprise, he needed capital. Some of this he had already managed to find in Turku. He was now on his way to Helsinki to offer the same number of shares to the three largest shareholders in Helsingfors Kalkugns Aktiebolag. The deal was concluded the following day in Helsinki. Moberg could board the steamer, this time the Ebba Munck, for the day-long voyage through the autumnal archipelago back to Turku, and then another steamer, The Pargas, for the trip home.

The Finnish Senate approved the new company and the first general meeting of Pargas Kalkbergs Aktiebolag was held on 26 November 1898, with Otto Moberg being voted as managing director. Moberg turned a room in the Limberg farmhouse into the company’s office for himself and a newly appointed clerk.”
Text: A history of Partek: Moving Mountains