Novita Company
Founded in 1928, Novita Oy is a family-owned company and the largest manufacturer of handicraft yarns in the Nordic countries. Novita has been spinning wool yarn for 95 years. Novita has the entire yarn production process in its hands, from sheep's wool to the yarn spool. Novita, which is growing and internationalising, currently has the largest spinning mill in the Nordic countries in Kouvola, Koria, where it produces around 1 million kilos of yarn, or 10 million spools of yarn per year. The age-old natural material has remained virtually unchanged through the turbulence of the world.
The Novita story
Ernst Gylfe, Novita's founder, left at the age of 50 to study long-fibre worsted yarn in Bradford, England, known as the birthplace of the European yarn and textile industry.
On his return to Finland, Ernst Gylfe founded Helsinki Wool Spinning Mill Ltd and started spinning yarn in what was then Merikaapelihall in 1928. When worsted yarn had found its place on the looms and in the hearts of the people, a plot of land was bought for the mill in Lauttasaari in 1935. During the war years, the spinning mill ran out of raw material, but no one was laid off. The workers wove woollen socks to warm the feet of the Finnish soldiers freezing on the front line.
Novita and sustainability
Sustainability is a core value at Novita. We want to make yarn in an environmentally friendly way, take care of our staff and contribute to the well-being of society at large. We also develop our company for the long term, so that we can pass it on to future generations in a prosperous way.
Our next major sustainability goal is that by 2030, all raw materials and packaging materials used by Novita will be renewable or recyclable.
Other targets for the coming years include:
- Adding natural fibres to our product range
- Increasing the use of recyclable and other responsible fibres in our products
- Increasing the use of certified materials
- Increasing our participation in nature conservation projects
- Switching to full LED lighting in our factory
- Offsetting all air travel by 2025
Environment
Novita has been a carbon neutral company for our Finnish operations since 2020 and our next goal is to be carbon neutral across our supply chain.
Novita's own factory in Koria, Kouvola is our pride and joy, and we want to keep it that way. The Koria factory will also be fully carbon neutral from 2020.
Charity
Novita participates in at least one charity project every year. Novita does charity work by participating in both nature conservation projects and projects that contribute to people's well-being.
Charity is an important part of our sustainability work, as donations allow us to direct funds and supplies directly to projects we consider important. Charitable giving also emphasises the importance of working together for Novita.
Materials and chemicals
Sheep's wool is the main material for our yarns. It takes little energy to grow, is renewable and recyclable, and lasts for decades in use. Moreover, the wool is not harmful to the animals, but is harvested for the sheep's own well-being.
Novita uses around one million kilos of sheep's wool per year for yarn production. We source the wool as locally as possible to keep transport distances short and emissions low. By buying wool produced close to home, we can also more easily ensure the welfare of farm animals.
Novita's yarns are dyed with reactive dyes suitable for dyeing wool, which we buy from European companies in the field. We aim to select biodegradable and the least harmful or allergenic dyes for our production.
Management of Novita
Management team
Mikko Koponen
Chief Executive Director
Marita Halonen
Chief Operating Officer
Camilla Granberg
Domestic Sales and Development Director
Linda Permanto
Marketing and Communications Director
Kaisa Nick
Chief Digital Officer
Petri Ala-Juoni
Chief Financial Officer
Board of Directors
Ernst Magnus Gylfe
Daniela Yrjö-Koskinen
Ernst Fredrik Gylfe
Patricia Gylfe
Peter Longbottom
Richard Longbottom