- Antti Ahlström
Antti
Ahlström (7. November 1827,Merikarvia – 10. May 1896,Helsinki ) founded theAhlstrom Corporation. He was one of Finland's most influential and wealthy 19th century businessmen. In addition, Ahlström was anindustrialist ,ship owner ,patron ,commercial counselor and deputy.Between 1866 and 1874, Antti Ahlström’s big business was
shipping ; he became the largestshipowner inPori in1871 . It was in shipping that he earned the starting capital which he subsequently used to build his sawmill empire.The purchase of the manor and iron works in
Noormarkku in 1870 was a milestone in Antti Ahlström’s career: the purchase sealed his status as an important businessman and a ‘lord of the manor’. One month after the deed of sale was signed, his wife Margaretha Ahlström died of a sudden illness. In the following year, Antti Ahlström married again, this time to a woman 20 years his junior, Eva Holmström. [* [http://www.blf.fi/artikel.php?id=3274 Biografiskt lexikon för Finland (BLF): Antti Ahlström] ]Ahlström’s business grew rapidly due to major acquisitions, such as the iron works in
Kauttua ,Leineperi andStrömfors and the sawmills inHaminaholma ,Suursaari andTampere .Antti Ahlström was a socially active citizen, representing the bourgeoisie of the Town of
Pori at the Diet of the Estates in 1877-1878 and in 1894. He was awarded the highly distinguished honorary title of Commercial Counsellor in 1881. Ahlström and his wife made considerable donations to public schools and to public education to further the national interest, and to the arts, for instance to theFinnish National Theatre and theFinnish National Opera . The Ahlströms were also patrons to several Finnish artists, includingAkseli Gallen-Kallela . [* [http://www.vierivakivi.fi/ooppera_en.php/ Vierivä kivi opera] ]When Antti Ahlström passed away on May 10 1896, he left behind a fortune estimated at 11,4 million Finnish marks, which was Finland's largest at the time. Although difficult to estimate, this would likely be the equivalent of several hundreds of millions of
Euro today. [* [http://www.blf.fi/artikel.php?id=3274 Biografiskt lexikon för Finland (BLF): Antti Ahlström] ]Antti Ahlström was a natural talent as a businessman and left an enormous industrial, ethical and secular legacy.
See also
*
Ahlström — Gullichsen family
= References =External links
* [http://www.blf.fi/artikel.php?id=3274 Biografiskt lexikon för Finland (BLF): Antti Ahlström] (in Swedish)
* [http://artikkelihaku.kansallisbiografia.fi/artikkeli/3274/ Ahlström, Antti] Kansallisbiografia (in Finnish)
* [http://www.vierivakivi.fi/ooppera_en.php/ Vierivä kivi opera]
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
