In early May 1906, a man named Richard Ötzmann founded a soft drinks factory in Vyborg.
to prepare The Papula Waterworks. The story would probably have ended there, or at the latest, with the Winter War, without the energetic businessman Reino Olkkku . In 1942, Olkku bought the Papula Waterworks and founded a company that produces juices and jams Sweets - and Mehu oy:n . M elko pian he had to evacuate his company to modern Finland , where many factories will soon be ended up in Kouvola . There their delicious inheritance is successfully continued Kouvola Liquorice Ltd.
Papula Waterworks, Confectionery - and Juice and Kouvola Liquorice have seen the Russian Revolution, World War I, the Great Depression of the 1920s , World War II , the oil crisis, a few regular recessions and the corona years – and many excellent decades in between . A lot has happened and the entrepreneurs have changed, but one thing has remained: the recipe and traditional method of making Kouvola licorice.
When the stages of 119 years of history have been compiled into one cover, you have just under 130 pages of captivating corporate history: The story of Laku's taste – Water in Wiipur 1906, Black gold in Kouvola 2025 .
A book that had to be written!
The compilation of the bill began in spring 2024 – a little too late, because just over a year earlier, Reino Olku's middle son, the information bank Pekka Olkku, who had long steered his father's companies, had died. Just Fortunately, not all involved were lost , and the book managed to capture many valuable and fun memories. The story-filled book The materials compiled by Pekka Olku in his time were also invaluable in the compilation .
The compilation of the book at Kouvola's Lakritsi was led by former CEO and current artistic director Timo Nisula. The stories in the book have provided him with a great deal of new information. Nisula is satisfied with the book and happy that it was completed.
" It has been a privilege to be carrying forward the traditional company's baton . It may sound unnecessarily cheesy, but I think it's a cultural act to write a such an old one , that has been operating in Kouvola for a long time company history. This book had to be made!”
The texts of Lakuk irja are written by a non-fiction writer from Lahti , editor Teija Rantoja, and it was published by Kuvateksti Teemu Järvenpää Oy, which specializes in business histories. The book will be launched on International Licorice Day on April 12th, when it will go on sale. Kouvola Licorice 's online store and factory outlet .
More information:
Timo Nisula, Kouvola Licorice Ltd, lakutehtailija@kouvolanlakritsi.fi, tel. 0400 490 020