FROM ONE FAMILY TO ANOTHER
Varax-Products is Finland’s leading manufacturer of leisure furniture. Varax-Products has been manufacturing garden and yard products in Ostrobothnia for almost 70 years and we aim to create warm summer memories for both everyday life and for celebrations. In manufacturing we value durable materials and Finnish know-how. Our working practices also include responsible and ecological operations with continuous product development.
Mission
Our goal is to be a high-quality and user-friendly producer of yard and garden products of metal.
We offer all services under one roof: from the design of metal parts to the finished product to all subcontracting needs of the metal industry.
Vision
Our vision is to become the leading manufacturer of metal yard and garden products in the Nordic countries.
Known for efficiency, high quality, and user-friendly metal products.
Values
Warmth – We create warmth around us by behaving professionally and respectfully towards each other, our customers, and the surrounding nature.
Creativity – We strive to develop new skills and solutions and use new technologies.
Quality – We strive to promote Finnish know-how and take steps to achieve the best quality.
History
Ähtävän Villa – Esse Ull was founded
Just before the Second World War, Ähtävän Villa – the predecessor of Oy Varax-Products Ab – was established in Ähtävä to make wool yarn because it was needed for such a time in the world.
The first stools were manufactured
The conditions at the end of the war changed and the need for wool was no longer the same as before. And so, Ähtävän Villa began to prepare garden furniture, which turned out to be the right thing to do. The first products were X-style spare stools, for which the idea came from American wooden chairs.
Butterfly chair
The Butterfly chair is a familiar design product for many, which still delights with its modern design. Varax was the first company to bring the Butterfly chair to Finland in the late 1950s, and since then Varax has been manufacturing its own version of this favorite chair.
From Ähtävän Villa to Varax
As the main production had shifted from wool to metal furniture, it was time for both new factory premises and a name change, so Ähtävän Villa became Varax, in accordance with the classic X shaped spare stool.
Varax products worldwide
The 1960s-1980s were a time of growth and so the first batch of Varax table groups and garden swings went abroad in 1966 towards Stockholm and Oslo. Since then, in the ’70s and ’80s, Varax’s garden furniture has been sold in Europe, Asia and the Americas.
New start as Oy Varax-Products Ab
Varax was also affected by the recession. Swings and garden furniture didn’t sell in the same way as before and so the company went bankrupt. After the bankruptcy, the desire to start the business again was strong, and operations were soon resumed by a few old employees under the new name Oy Varax-Products Ab. The new company was divided in to two different areas; Varax Living, which focuses on the production and sale of garden furniture, and Varax Solutions for metal industry subcontracting services.
Time for investment
Since the new start, operations have been developed and the metal subcontracting services provided by Varax Solution in powder coating, pipe bending, welding and stamping have created a need for growth and expansion of production facilities. During these nearly 30 years, the factory has built extensions and invested in for example both painting lines and industrial robots.
Growth in e-commerce
The growth of online stores in recent years, as well as direct shipments from the factory to Finland, Sweden and Estonia, with the expansion into the Danish market, have created a need to increase operations. Renovation of warehouse facilities and hiring new employees are concrete actions that have been taken following the rise of e-commerce at Oy Varax-Products Ab.
