Important milestones in Uponor history

1900
Wirsbo begins producing steel pipes for the Swedish market.

1918
Carpenter August Avonius establishes Lahden Puusepäntehdas in Finland
(start of the Group).

1938
Arvi Tammivuori, son of Avonius, founded Upo Osakeyhtiö for manufacturing of cast iron pipes and household appliances.

1946
Asko founded its first subsidiary in London.

1964
Upo Plastics started up in Finland.

1968
Wirsbo bought the license for PEX according to the Engel method.

1970
Wirsbo commercialises the cross-linking process, and introduces the PEX-A tubing.

1972
PEX pipe production started at Wirsbo Bruk.

1982
Finnish companies Asko Oy and Neste Oy founded Oy Uponor Ab for manufacture of PVC pipes and acquired the Lubonyl unit of of AB Gustavsberg in Fristad, Sweden, later named Uponor AB.

1986
Pipe Division of Oy Finlayson Ab including the Ecopipe Group taken over by Uponor. Polyethylene pipes were added to the product range.

1988
Uponor expands to a new business, plastic hot water pipes, by acquiring the shares of Hewing GmbH and Wirsbo Bruks AB.

Asko Oy listed on Helsinki Stock Exchange main list.

1990
North American headquarters and a new production plant for Wirsbo in Apple Valley, Minnesota, USA

1991
Acquisition of Aldyl gas pipe division from DuPont

1997
40% shareholding in the German Unicor GmbH

1998
Radius Plastics Limited, UK, cable conduit company acquired

Wirsbo breaks ground for second manufacturing site in Saint John, New Brunswick, Canada

1999
Uponor's ownership in Unicor AG gradually increased to 100% during the year

2000
Merger of Asko Oyj and Oy Uponor Ab, company's name as of 1 January Uponor Oyj

2003
Uponor sold its 51% stake in Uponor Hausabflusstechnik GmbH and its subsidiary Uponor Magnaplast Sp. z o.o. to the minority shareholders

Uponor Oyj divested its shareholding in Uponor ETI company, a U.S.-based municipal water and sewer systems subsidiary, to PW Eagle Inc.
 

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