14. NORDSTRÖM GROUP 1926-1970
The shipping company of the Nordström family was once one of the most considerable shipping companies in Loviisa and in Finland. The grounds for the company were established in 1926 when Ragnar Nordström bought a majority in the shipping company “Lovisa Ångfartygs Ab” which then mainly conducted coastal traffic with S/S LOVISA and S/S SÖDERN. Nordström brought the town’s shipping into the era of motorships. The material presented at the museum is based on the book of the Nordström family business written by Ilmari Elo, which Lovisa Maritime History Foundation published in 2007.
The business that started with the passenger steamboat traffic along the Finnish coast developed to include freighters for the transportations of cellulose and paper industry, a fishing fleet for herring fishing in the Arctic Ocean, tankers for oil import, line traffic along the western coast of Africa and in the Great Lakes of North America as well as tugboats. The company consisted of separate enterprises owned by Ragnar Nordström. The ships were owned by Lovisa Ångfartygs Ab, Lovisa Rederi Ab and Finska Fiskeri Ab. The overall administration was concentrated in the company “Ab R. Nordström & Co. Oy”.
The war years of 1939-1940 and 1941-1944 caused heavy losses for the company: 13 freighters and 2 tugboats with 35 seamen were lost. During 1931-1953 (except for the war years) the company was engaged in herring fishing. In the end of 1950s, the Nordström family company was as its biggest: with its 17 ships and 500 seamen it was one of the most remarkable shipping companies in Finland.
The company was about to start a new construction program when it fell into financial difficulties in the 1950s and 1960s. The business was discontinued on 31st December 1970 when the company was sold to Enso-Gutzeit Oy and the remaining 7 freighters were transferred under the command of shipping company Finnlines Oy.
The Nordström Shipping Company operated in 44 years during which 71 different ships sailed under its red-green flag inspired by the colors of East Karelia.
14. THE EMBLEM OF THE SHIPPING COMPANY AND THE NAMES OF THE SHIPS
Karelia and East Karelia were important landscapes to Ragnar Nordström. That is also why the emblem of his shipping company got the colors red and green. The steamboat chimneys were black, but the color was changed to yellow along the motorships.
Ragnar Nordström’s first freighter was named NINA after his bellowed wife. Most of his ships were baptized according to the names of his children and relatives. The steam trollers had names that referred to the East Karelia or Petsamo in the northern Finland, such as AUNUS, VIENA, SYVÄRI and RUIJA. When the same name was used in several times, the ship got a roman number after the name, e.g. M/T INGA (IV).
14. SHIPOWNER RAGNAR NORDSTRÖM
Ragnar Nordström (1894-1982) was born in Loviisa and remained faithful to his hometown for his whole life. His dedication in Jaeger movement (established in 1914 among the Finnish students with the aim of separating Finland from Russia by military means), along with his efforts for Finland’s independence and for Karelia together with his maritime pursuits defined his life. In acknowledgement of his contributions to the town’s welfare, he was appointed the honorary citizen of Loviisa in 1954, coinciding with his 60th birthday. A monument in his honor was established in the boulevard park of Loviisa in 2008.
Ragnar Nordström was born on 16th January 1894. The house in which he was born is situated at Puutarhakatu 28, approximately 200 meters from the Maritime Museum. He began his career in shipping as a young man, but in 1915, he became involved in the Jaeger movement. During the War of Independence, he sustained injuries that resulted in the loss of his right arm. Nevertheless, he played a pivotal role as one of the initiators of the Aunus expedition in Karelia, which aimed to annex Aunus and White Karelia to Finland. The expedition ultimately failed, and Nordström returned to his hometown and to the shipping industry.
In 1921, Ragnar Nordström got married with Nina Seise, who hailed from Salmi located northeast of Ladoga. They were blessed with seven children: three daughters and four sons. The Art Nouveau house at Tullisilta in Loviisa was acquired and transformed into the family residence. Ragnar Nordström resided there until his passing.
Ragnar Nordström was a devoted patriot. During the Winter War and the Interim Peace, he engaged in and ensured the acquisition of weapons using his personal resources. For his contributions during the Winter War, he was elevated to the rank of lieutenant colonel. Subsequently, he was commonly referred to as Colonel in Loviisa. Throughout the Continuation War, he actively participated in various efforts to safeguard our nation’s independence. For a period, he even held the position of deputy commander of the East Karelia military administration.
To evade interrogation by the communist-controlled State Police, Ragnar was exiled to Stockholm following the conclusion of the war, remaining there as a political refugee until Christmas 1948. During this period, he authored his memoirs and the book “Maailmansota suomalaisesta näkökulmasta” (The World War from a Finnish Perspective). These works were published in 1996 in a volume titled “Voitto tai kuolema” (Victory or Death), translated into Finnish by his son Raimo-Ragnar Nordström and edited by Lauri Haataja.
In Loviisa, Ragnar Nordström is commemorated not only for his entrepreneurial endeavors but also as a significant donor and benefactor. For instance, he contributed funds to establish the Loviisa Community School and subsequently to the construction of the “War Village” in Antinkylä, which comprises 20 homes for war widows and disabled individuals. In the 1950s, he donated the crane fountain adjacent by the Loviisa bus station as a decorative feature for his hometown.
Ragnar Nordström was also engaged in ventures beyond shipping. Following the war, he obtained a majority interest in the insurance company called Fennia, as well as a substantial stake in the bank of Kansallis-Osake-Pankki and the forest industry company Enso-Gutzeit Oy. He commissioned the construction of a power plant in Tengeliönjoki along the Tornio River and held majority interests in numerous companies across diverse sectors.
In 1967, at the age of 73, he relinquished management of his conglomerate. The shipping enterprise ceased operations at the conclusion of 1970. By that time, other business ventures had also been significantly reduced. Oy R. Nordström & Co. Ab, owned by the family, continues to operate the port of Loviisa.
Ragnar Nordström passed away on Christmas Day in 1982, just prior to his 89th birthday. He was interred with military honors at the Old Cemetery in Loviisa.
14. THE BUSINESS
The operations of the Nordström shipping company were based on both contract as well as on search and book shipments.
From 1929 onwards the Nordström company made annual contracts with the Finnish Cellulose Association on shipping of cellulose. In addition to that the company transported common Finnish export goods to the European and the Mediterranean harbors. As a return cargo the company’s ships carried coal, coke coal and fertilizers. Sometimes the ships returned to Finland only in ballast.
The passenger traffic, on which the company started, continued until 1943, when S/S LOVISA was sold.
During the years 1931-1953 one of the company’s freighters was reserved as the mother ship for herring fishing every summer.
In the turn of 1950s and 1960s the Nordström company operated in line traffic: NIGERIA LINE offered transportation from the European harbors to the western coast of Africa whereas NORDLAKE LINE offered transportation from the European harbors to the Great Lakes of North America up to Chicago.
The three oil tankers of the company M/T INGA (IV), M/T ANGELA (II) and M/T SUSANNA were mainly chartered on oil transport from the Black Sea to Finland during 1955-1970.
Before the business was discontinued the company purchased yet two passenger ships, S/S COCOLITA (former WELLAMO) and S/S OULUTAR (former SILJA) for traffic between Finland and Sweden in Ostrobothnia. The circle was thus closed – the company returned to the concept it once had started with.
14. THE OPERATIVE MANAGEMENT OF THE COMPANY
As the Chairman of the Board, the shipowner Ragnar Nordström led his companies from the study in his own home and kept a firm grip on the business. The office of the shipping company with its operative officers was responsible for the practical arrangements together with the masters of the ships.
In 1942-1965 the office was situated in address Tullisilta 10. The cash and accounting department was in the opposite house. The office staff amounted to a maximum of about 40 people. The following people held leading positions for many years:
Consul Arne Åkerlund served as the closest associate of Ragnar Nordström and worked as the CEO in many of his companies from 1930s to the middle of the 1950s. He was also the shareholder of many of the Nordström owned companies.
Director Olavi Veltheim was responsible for the ship chartering from 1930s until his death in 1960. His father, consul Carl Veltheim, was the first employee of young Ragnar Nordström.
Director Onni Nyman coordinated the company’s shipping from 1950s onwards. He started his career in the company 19 years old as an apprentice in the ship clearance department, and advanced to more demanding positions in his career. After the business was discontinued, he moved to serve the shipping company Finnlines Oy.
Commander Captain Lasse Örö, the son-in-law of Ragnar Nordström, was responsible for the recruitment of the ship’s crew from the middle of the 1940s until the business was discontinued.
Chamberlain Georg Holmberg worked in the cash- and accounting department during 1939-1967. In his early years he was responsible for the cash register functions but came to lead the whole department in 1959 when the M.Sc. in Economics Olof Lindholm passed away.
Chief Inspector Ivar Blomster was Ragnar Nordström’s trusted man since 1930s and helped him in ship procurement and overhaul. He served the company until his death in 1961.
M.Sc. Pentti Airaksinen worked as marine superintendent and as the technical director of the machine shop in 1949-1961.
Engineer Surveyor Helmer Dufvelin started his career as a stoker in the company in 1931 and was responsible for the maintenance work in the 1960s. After the business was discontinued, he moved to serve Finnlines Oy.
Director Martti Nordström, the oldest son of Ragnar Nordström, entered the company service in 1947, took later care of the financing and worked as the CEO of several of the family companies until retirement in the beginning of 2001.
The younger sons of Ragnar Nordström, Forest Manager Raimo-Ragnar Nordström, M.Sc. Immo-Ragnar Nordström and Economist Veli-Ragnar Nordström worked for the shipping company before they started their own companies related to shipping.
THE CLOCK
The original ship clock of M/S ANNIKA, which was constructed for the Nordstrom company in 1965. The clock fell from its mount in the storm and broke.
OTHER OBJECTS in this side of the room: The models represent the vessels of the Nordström shipping company.
By the window you can see references to the products that the Nordström ships transported from Finland: cellulose and sawn goods.