History - Growth since 1898

1898: the beginning                   

On November 26, 1898 the Board of Directors of Pargas Kalks Aktiebolag gathered for their first meeting. A local farmer, Otto Moberg, who had been the pioneer behind the new company, was appointed managing director. Moberg was a man of vision who realised the importance of concentrating and making more efficient the existing production of lime in Pargas. In 1904 he employed Emil Sarlin, an engineer, as expert in the company; Sarlin was later to become the company's managing director for 50 years.

The limestone that was quarried in Pargas was burned and sold to paper mills, ironworks and pulp factories and in the 1910's a start was made on manufacturing cement. Crushed limestone was used primarily for agricultural purposes.

1910: Operations begin in Lappeenranta         

In 1910 Pargas Kalk also began operations in Lappeenranta and built the first shaft kiln. Since the beginning the two towns have formed the core of company's lime operations in Finland, where Lappeenranta is currently Nordkalk's biggest location.

1970s: new needs arise

Until the end of the 1960s and even into the 1970s lime continued to be used as a building material, in the pulp industry and as agricultural lime. But when Finland got a modern steel industry the need arose for new kinds of burnt lime. It was then that the development of new products and processes began, a trend that continues even today. In the 1970s and 1980s the company also invested heavily in developing competitive agricultural lime, and the quarries in Siikainen and Vampula came into the picture.

In the early 1980s two important decisions were taken; each one of these was to play a major role for the future. The largest deposit of limestone in the Nordic countries, Storugns on the island of Gotland in Sweden, was incorporated into Partek's operations through the setting up of a joint venture with Euroc Mineral. (In 1978 Pargas Kalk changed its name into Partek.) At the same time another joint venture was started with the Swiss company Plüss-Staufer and Ruskealan Marmori in Finland.
       
               

1980s: Leading producer in the Nordic region         

In the mid-1980s Partek's lime operations had grown so strong that Partek made its goal to become the leading producer of limestone-based products in the Nordic region. The lime business was turned into an independent company, Nordkalk Oy Ab, in August 1991. Through acquisitions, of Ruskealan Marmori in 1988, Euroc Mineral in 1990 and Lohja Oy's mineral operations in 1992, Partek's subsidiary Nordkalk gained a leading position in Finland and Sweden. The company's excellent organic growth in the paper and steel industries in the middle of the 1990s led to further expansion.

1990s: Leading producer around the Baltic Sea

Nordkalk's new strategy was formulated in 1995; it is to be the leading producer of limestone in the countries bordering the Baltic Sea. Now the Baltic countries also entered the scene; in Estonia a limestone quarry and a dolomite quarry were purchased and in 1998 Nordkalk took over the leading Estonian producer of burnt lime, Rakke Lubjatehase AS.

In 1996 Nordkalk acquired Rautaruukki's lime burning operations in Raahe and in 1997 SSAB Tunnplåt in Sweden. This may be seen as proof of the confidence Nordkalk enjoys as a manufacturer of lime for the steel industry.

Nordkalk started its expansion in Poland and opened its first branch office in Gdansk in 1997. The company was named Partek Nordkalk Polska Sp. z o.o. The following year the company's headquarters was established in Warszaw. In 1999, a lime plant and a deposit were acquired in Slawno, about 120 km south-east of Warsaw.

2000: Leading producer in Northern Europe

In the new millenium Nordkalk has continued to strengthen its position on the European market through several investments in Poland.

In Szczecin in northern Poland, a new grinding plant was brought into use in the beginning of year 2000. It supplies ground limestone for flue-gas cleaning in power plants and asphalt filler for the near-by markets.

In June 2000 Nordkalk acquired 80 percent of the shares of the limestone company Miedzianka in southern Poland. Nordkalk Miedzianka S.A., of which Nordkalk currently owns 96 %, includes one of the largest limestone deposits in the country. Later on Nordkalk has acquired all the shares of Miedzianka and on 1 March 2005 all the activities in Poland were merged to the company Nordkalk Sp. z o.o.

The deposit of Wolica in southern Poland was granted mining rights and a new mill was completed in 2001. The main markets in Poland are flue-gas cleaning and asfalt industry.

2002: New owner

NK-Holding Oy Ab and Partek Corporation, which was part of KONE Corporation, signed on 3 December 2002 an agreement, by which NK-Holding acquired 100% of the shares of Nordkalk Corporation from Partek. The transaction was finalized on 12 February 2003.

The owner of NK-Holding is a Finnish investor group, which comprises Ahlström Capital Oy, the funds managed/advised by CapMan and a group of institutional investors including Stiftelsen för Åbo Akademi, Veritas Group, Alandia-Group and Svenska litteratursällskapet i Finland. (In October 2006 CapMan sold its share. Please see the current ownership structure.)

2004: NK-Holding Oy Ab becomes Nordkalk Corporation

Nordkalk Corporation was absorbed into NK-Holding Oy Ab on 29 February 2004. At the same time NK-Holding changed its name to Nordkalk Corporation.

2005: Expansion to Russia

In the autumn 2005 Nordkalk acquired the Alekseevka lime factory in St. Petersburg region. The factory is situated in Alekseevka village 120 kilometers to the west of St. Petersburg. The purchase brought Nordkalk a bridgehead position in St. Petersburg region, which makes a controlled extension of business possible also in other Russian growth centers.

2007: New Kiln in Norway

The Norwegian company NorFraKalk AS, which is owned in half by Nordkalk Corporation and Franzefoss Minerals AS, has built a lime kiln in Verdal. The kiln was started up in November 2007.

2009: Changes in Nordkalk’s Ownership Structure

Nordkalk is owned by Rettig Group Ltd (49%) and a group of industrial and institutional investors.

2010: Rettig Group Acquired Full Ownership of Nordkalk

On 19 May 2010 Rettig Group signed a share purchase agreement with the co-owners of Nordkalk. As a consequence, Rettig's ownership in Nordkalk increased from 49% to 100%.