Fiskars, Famous for the Iconic Orange-Handled Scissors, Celebrates its 365th Anniversary
MADISON, Wisc., (October 2014) — The 17th century bore witness to a number of pinnacle moments in history, from the journey of the Mayflower, to the building of the Taj Mahal and the founding of New York. As these momentous occasions were taking place across the world, a small Finnish village experienced its own historical moment with the founding of Fiskars in 1649. Fiskars has been a leader in innovation and design for over three centuries and is proud to celebrate its 365th anniversary. Today, Fiskars is a global supplier of home, garden and outdoors products and is famous for introducing the world to the iconic Orange-Handled Scissors.
Fiskars was established as an ironworks in a Nordic settlement bearing the same name. Over the past 365 years, Fiskars has expanded from producing heavy iron and steel products and grown to become a leading provider of some of the most recognizable, everyday products that are a mainstay in homes both worldwide and here in the United States, with 63 percent of U.S. households owning a Fiskars product. The company’s strong brands and iconic products find their place with everyone who finds joy in creating, entertaining and gardening.
“At Fiskars, we take pride in our centuries-old tradition of craftsmanship and excellence. These same standards continue to guide our company today and stem from the design principle that all things, even the simplest, can be made better and smarter,” said Paul Tonnesen, president, Fiskars Americas.
The core philosophy of Fiskars is readily apparent in the development and production of their most iconic product, the Orange-Handled Scissors, the first plastic-handled scissors in the world. The release of the Orange-Handled Scissors was revolutionary, making scissors readily accessible to the masses and paving the way for them to become an essential everyday tool. Since their introduction more than 45 years ago, Fiskars has sold over 1 billion Orange-Handled Scissors worldwide. In 2004, the iconic design was recognized by the Museum of Modern Art in New York and became part of a series of rotating exhibitions featuring distinguished design masterpieces.
Today, Fiskars operates in more than 20 countries through three key product areas – for the home, garden and outdoors. In the 1970s, as part of its global expansion, Fiskars set its sights on the United States by opening facilities in Wisconsin. Since then, the Fiskars presence has continued to grow and Madison, Wisconsin is now home to the Fiskars Americas headquarters including a dedicated design center. Design and engineering experts at this center are committed to research and development, consumer-driven innovation, the discovery of new technologies and continuing to improve Fiskars products. Across the globe, Fiskars has demonstrated innovation and product quality excellence for 365 years and is proud to be Finland’s oldest company.
