Philip Ulric Strengberg
Encyclopedia
Philip Ulric Strengberg (2 August 1805 – 8 October 1872) was a prominent business man in Jakobstad
and the majority owner of the Ph. U. Strengberg tobaccy factory, which he co-owned together with Wilhelm Schauman
.
, Finland and entered an Apologist school in Uleåborg (Oulu) at the age 13, graduating in 1820. He then worked as a sales clerk for the widow of local merchant Kilian Malm in Jakobstad and was granted the priviligies of merchant on 5 May 1828. He soon became one of the leading merchants in Jakobstad. He was involved in mainly export trade, shipping and the management of a local saw mill.
He married Ulrica Charlotta Thelin on 7 June 1829, but the marriage was childless. Ulrica was born in Jakobstad on 18 February 1799 to the local merchant Johan Thelin and his wife Anna Margareta Häggström.
During the years 1842 until 1848 Strengberg purchased the majority of shares in the tobacco
factory in Jakobstad (founded in 1762). This proved to be the boost that the stagnant tobaccy industry had been waiting for, and the business was soon booming under the new name of "Ph. U. Strengberg & C:o Tobaks-Fabrik". He was a member of the municipal court from 1837 until 1858, and from 1843 an alderman
of the city council
. He died in Jakobstad in 1872, leaving behind a fortune of 526 000 Finnish Marks
.
in 1903. The severe competition between the Finnish tobacco producers (such as P.C. Rettig & Co and Tollander & Klaerich) led to rapid technological development in the branch. By the 1840s, Strengberg had started to install machinery and industrialise artisan production. Cutting machines were acquired and installed in the 1850s, and the first steam engine to drive the cutting and pressing machines were acquired in 1863, and in 1900, the factory employed around 1000 people in Jakobstad.
The production in Härnösand, Sweden had started on a small scale in 1903, but expanded rapidly and Ph. U. Strengberg & C:o became a significant producer of cigarettes in Sweden. Even during the first full year of operations in 1904, Strengberg produced 17 per cent of all Swedish cigarettes. In 1908 Strengberg was the second largest cigarette producer in Sweden. Its share of cigarette production reached a top figure in 1911 when Strengberg accounted for nearly half of the cigarettes produced in Sweden. The success of the Strengberg firm can, first and foremost, be attributed to the use of modern production methods in cigarette production.
The Finnish tobacco producers’ Swedish operations came to an end with the foundation of the Swedish tobacco monopoly AB Svenska Tobaksmonopolet in 1914. For Strengberg this was a harsh blow, as production in Härnösand had been quite profitable. Strengberg opened a subsidiary in Oslo
, Norway in 1912. However, this operation never met with financial success, and the subsidiary was closed down in 1928. The subsidiaries in Copenhagen
, Denmark and Lübeck
, Germany, met with similar fates.
In 1940, P.C. Rettig & Co bought the share majority of Ph. U. Strengberg & Co Ab in Jakobstad, operating tobacco factories both in Turku and Jakobstad. The companies were fully merged to form Oy Rettig-Strengberg Ab in 1976. In the mid-1990s, the factory was bought by R. J. Reynolds, who later sold it to Swedish Match
. The factory was closed down in 1998, and the production was moved to the Swedish Match factories in Belgium.
Jakobstad
Jakobstad is a town and municipality in Ostrobothnia, Finland. The town has a population of and covers a land area of . The population density is .- History :...
and the majority owner of the Ph. U. Strengberg tobaccy factory, which he co-owned together with Wilhelm Schauman
Wilhelm Schauman
Berndt Wilhelm Schauman was a Finnish industrialist, the most important in Jakobstad at the beginning of the 20th century. He was the older brother of Ossian Schauman. Wilhelm Schauman's first industrial installation was a small chicory factory, which he founded in 1883...
.
Life
Strengberg was born in SieviSievi
Sievi is a municipality of Finland.It is located in the province of Oulu and is part of the Northern Ostrobothnia region. The municipality has a population of and covers an area of ofwhich is water. The population density is....
, Finland and entered an Apologist school in Uleåborg (Oulu) at the age 13, graduating in 1820. He then worked as a sales clerk for the widow of local merchant Kilian Malm in Jakobstad and was granted the priviligies of merchant on 5 May 1828. He soon became one of the leading merchants in Jakobstad. He was involved in mainly export trade, shipping and the management of a local saw mill.
He married Ulrica Charlotta Thelin on 7 June 1829, but the marriage was childless. Ulrica was born in Jakobstad on 18 February 1799 to the local merchant Johan Thelin and his wife Anna Margareta Häggström.
During the years 1842 until 1848 Strengberg purchased the majority of shares in the tobacco
Tobacco
Tobacco is an agricultural product processed from the leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. It can be consumed, used as a pesticide and, in the form of nicotine tartrate, used in some medicines...
factory in Jakobstad (founded in 1762). This proved to be the boost that the stagnant tobaccy industry had been waiting for, and the business was soon booming under the new name of "Ph. U. Strengberg & C:o Tobaks-Fabrik". He was a member of the municipal court from 1837 until 1858, and from 1843 an alderman
Alderman
An alderman is a member of a municipal assembly or council in many jurisdictions founded upon English law. The term may be titular, denoting a high-ranking member of a borough or county council, a council member chosen by the elected members themselves rather than by popular vote, or a council...
of the city council
City council
A city council or town council is the legislative body that governs a city, town, municipality or local government area.-Australia & NZ:Because of the differences in legislation between the States, the exact definition of a City Council varies...
. He died in Jakobstad in 1872, leaving behind a fortune of 526 000 Finnish Marks
Finnish mark
The Finnish markka was the currency of Finland from 1860 until 28 February 2002, when it ceased to be legal tender. The markka was replaced by the euro , which had been introduced, in cash form, on 1 January 2002....
.
The Tobacco Factory
The Strengberg tobacco factory was one of the largest and most successful tobacco firms in Finland, situated in the Ostrobothnian town Jakobstad. From this position of strength, it was also (probably) the first Finnish company to open a subsidiary abroad, in the Swedish town of HärnösandHärnösand
Härnösand is a locality and the seat of Härnösand Municipality in Västernorrland County, Sweden with 18,003 inhabitants in 2005. It is called "the gate to the High Coast" because of the world heritage landscape rises just some miles north of Härnösand...
in 1903. The severe competition between the Finnish tobacco producers (such as P.C. Rettig & Co and Tollander & Klaerich) led to rapid technological development in the branch. By the 1840s, Strengberg had started to install machinery and industrialise artisan production. Cutting machines were acquired and installed in the 1850s, and the first steam engine to drive the cutting and pressing machines were acquired in 1863, and in 1900, the factory employed around 1000 people in Jakobstad.
The production in Härnösand, Sweden had started on a small scale in 1903, but expanded rapidly and Ph. U. Strengberg & C:o became a significant producer of cigarettes in Sweden. Even during the first full year of operations in 1904, Strengberg produced 17 per cent of all Swedish cigarettes. In 1908 Strengberg was the second largest cigarette producer in Sweden. Its share of cigarette production reached a top figure in 1911 when Strengberg accounted for nearly half of the cigarettes produced in Sweden. The success of the Strengberg firm can, first and foremost, be attributed to the use of modern production methods in cigarette production.
The Finnish tobacco producers’ Swedish operations came to an end with the foundation of the Swedish tobacco monopoly AB Svenska Tobaksmonopolet in 1914. For Strengberg this was a harsh blow, as production in Härnösand had been quite profitable. Strengberg opened a subsidiary in Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
, Norway in 1912. However, this operation never met with financial success, and the subsidiary was closed down in 1928. The subsidiaries in Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
, Denmark and Lübeck
Lübeck
The Hanseatic City of Lübeck is the second-largest city in Schleswig-Holstein, in northern Germany, and one of the major ports of Germany. It was for several centuries the "capital" of the Hanseatic League and, because of its Brick Gothic architectural heritage, is listed by UNESCO as a World...
, Germany, met with similar fates.
In 1940, P.C. Rettig & Co bought the share majority of Ph. U. Strengberg & Co Ab in Jakobstad, operating tobacco factories both in Turku and Jakobstad. The companies were fully merged to form Oy Rettig-Strengberg Ab in 1976. In the mid-1990s, the factory was bought by R. J. Reynolds, who later sold it to Swedish Match
Swedish Match
Swedish Match is a Swedish company based in Stockholm that makes snus, tobacco, cigars , Red Man Chewing Tobacco, dipping tobacco, matches and lighters. It was founded as Svenska Tändsticksaktiebolaget by Ivar Kreuger in 1917 in Jönköping...
. The factory was closed down in 1998, and the production was moved to the Swedish Match factories in Belgium.