James Finlayson harnessed the Tammerkoski rapids in 1820 to establish a factory, which was to become the largest industrial enterprise in the Nordic countries. Our design archive of over 100,000 designs has played a unique part in the history of Scandinavian textile design. During our journey of soon
200 years, our products have found their way into almost all Finnish homes. Experience has taught us to understand and love people's homes and their everyday lives more than ourselves. Currently our entire design philosophy is built around this realization.

Scottish engineer James Finlayson moves to Finland on the invitation of Tsar Alexander I of Russia to establish a cotton factory by the Tammerkoski rapids in the city of Tampere. 

The Russian Emperor’s court physician Georg Adolf Rauch and businessman Carl Samuel Nottbeck from St Petersburg purchased the factory. This initiates a period of rapid growth and a short period of time, the company becomes the biggest industrial enterprise in Scandinavia. The company has its own school, daycare, hospital, library and church. 

After the Crimean war paper money has lost its value and Finlayson issues its own in 1855. The company pays wages in the currency, which is accepted by all shops in Tampere. 

The Nordic’s first electric light is switched on in the Nordic’s biggest weaving hall. Some workers stop showing up because they think the invention is the work of devil. 

The first Finlayson store was established in Tampere, in the same location it operates today. 

Emergence of women designers. All the designers at Finlayson's Forssa factory are women.

The studio goes on to produce thousands of designs that inspire Finns to this day and take a central role in Scandinavian design. 

During the golden era of Finnish functionalist design, Finlayson's ready-made sheets are decorated with embroidery and printed designs. The first duvet cover is made.

Finlayson is Finland’s biggest employer: 11 factories and 6,500 employees. 

Finlayson along with the wider European textile industry, falls victim to globalisation, shifting its focus towards brand management and design in response. 

Finlayson gets new owners who blow new life into the company. 

Finlayson starts to recycle household textiles at its stores. Finlayson continues to grow strongly in Finland and opens its first store in Sweden.

Finlayson is voted one of the top five most interesting brands in Finland. 

Finlayson collaborates with A-Fontane, a textile company, to expand to the Asian market and open its first stores in China, Hong Kong and Macau respectively.

Finlayson continues to grow strongly in Asia and opens 13 stores in China, Hong Kong and Macau.