K & H Annala Oy
In 1917, along the beautiful shores of Lankilakoski, Juho Annala had an epiphany! He realized that with local sheep wool he could refine and produce felt that could be used for many purposes. With this business idea in mind and along the same beautiful green shores of his inspiration, Juho constructed his first felt factory. With time, Juho was able to expand his operation and in 1924 he built a new factory in the same area, to include yarn spinning and weaving.
During the time of war, Annala was able to develop and deliver to the war fronts felt products to be used by soldiers. Of the felt products produced, felt slippers and boots were in the highest demand. The demand, sale and production for these felt products was consistent until 1952.
The end of war times brought change. The now increasingly prosperous nation of Finland had an abundant need for new furniture and furniture covers. To answer this need, the sons of Juho Annala, Kalle and Heikki Annala, established K&H Annala Oy in 1955. Within the same facility previously used for felt footwear, Kalle and Heikki began weaving fabric for furniture. The demand for the furniture fabric increased and the need for expansion and efficiency rose simultaneously. K&H completed construction for a new facility in 1964 and by 1970 they had upgraded all machines so that they were all automated.
Between 1980 -1990, the most popular fabric was plush fabric. Kilometer after kilometer, plush fabric was weaved. By the end of the 1990s, the trends changed and the sales of plush fabric quickly came to a halt! The situation of the company, when Kalle’s son Vesa Annala took over, was dire. With the Finnish Great Depression of the 1990s, the situation became even more pressing. The Finnish economy collapsed and the burden of debt increased. However, with perseverance and a focus on improving efficiency, the company survived and began once again to thrive.
Now, for over 60 years, Annala has been producing high quality fabric for home and industrial use. Annala, currently ran by Hanna Kortesoja, is a fourth generation, family owned business that continues to focus on superior quality, advancement in efficiency, employee growth and customer service. The clientele of Annala include upholsterers, furniture factories, boat – and automotive industries, hotels, public spaces and ordinary homes.
Annala is the only remaining Finnish manufacturer of upholstery fabrics. Annala’s goal is to continue to serve every valued customer for the next 60 years by producing high quality fabrics for all homes, spaces and companies. Domestically based, Annala continues to manufacture solely in Finland to benefit Finnish domestic trade.
Annala weaves stories from the threads of life into every home, every day.
