Rocks around the world - 100 years of stories.
The company, which started as a small stone workshop three generations ago, has established its role as an internationally acclaimed Finnish granite quarrier.
1921
A travelling stonemason settles down by the river Loimijoki - Loimaan Hautakiviveistämö A. Palin
Antti Palin and Mrs. Ida Palin
It all started with Antti Palin, a traveling stonemason. Antti's father Jaakko was a carpenter and shoemaker, and the frenzy of making by hand caught Antti as well. Antti's material became stone, and the mason's mobile profession took him around Finland after contracts.
In 1921, Antti Palin settled down on the banks of the Loimijoki River with his family and founded Loimaan Hautakiviveistämö A. Palin. (A. Palin’s Monument Workshop). In Antti's skillful hands the stones were shaped into monuments as well as fine stone pieces for family graves. The granites selected for processing were transported to Loimaa by rail, and driven from the station to the site by horse-drawn carriage. After the wars Antti already employed closer to 30 masons.
1958
”Balmoral Red granite from Taivassalo is talked about all over the world”
In 1958, it was Antti's time to give way to the next generation, when two of his sons Martti and Reino took over the family business. The brothers had been working in the workshop alongside their father for years and had a strong will to develop the family business into the best in its field. The division of labor was easy for the brothers - Martti was a social and easy-going man, and it was natural for him to be responsible for sales and relationships. Reino, on the other hand, had a special interest in technology, machinery, and mining, and he focused on developing them.
Those times were a time of great change for the stone industry - handicrafts were no longer profitable and it was time to invest in machinery. With the vigor of Martti and Reino, the production of the stone sculpture factory diversified from monuments and building stones to decorative stones and sculptures.
As late as the 1960s, all stone material was purchased for the workshop from outside raw material suppliers. At that time, however, the reputation of Finnish granite in the world began to grow, and the brothers saw a new business opportunity in the extraction of Finnish granite.
Reino and Martti Palin
Group photo of staff in 1971, when the company turned 50.
In 1975, Reino and Martti made the historic decision to buy their first quarry from Taivassalo. The red granite from the quarry, Balmoral Red, was exported mainly to France and Italy. Over the next decade, the Palins invested in new quarries, increasing both the quality supply and the amount of stone mined. Martti and Reino spent a lot of time researching the mining industry to find the best possible practices. A special subsidiary was established under Loimaan Kivi to later expand mining operations, which was later renamed Palin Granit.
1989
Palin Granit - Rocks around the world.
3rd ja 4th generations: Jaana, Heikki, Maria and Kira Palin
Photo: Marko Rantanen
A third-generation representative, Heikki Palin, was appointed CEO in 1989. Like previous generations, Heikki had gained experience in the stone industry in the education of his father and uncle for many years. The year of exchange studies in the United States and two summers working in German stone companies had aroused a strong belief in Heikki about the possibilities of Finnish stone in the international market.
From the beginning, he was particularly interested in the quarrying process and the export opportunities of Finnish granite. Under Heikki's guidance, Palin Granit has become a pioneer in granite quarrying in Finland.
In 2011, the Palin family decided to focus on granite quarrying, and sold Loimaan Kivi Oy to Mikko Paljakka, who worked for the company.