History

1881

The Helsinki resident Carl Edvard Lindgren founds the company C. E. Lindgren, and begins the manufacturing and selling of brushes and painting tools. In the beginning Carl Edvard gets by with the help of an assistant in a small rented office in Helsinki. C. E. Lindgren grows fast however, and within a few years the company has more than 20 employees, and a new factory on Punavuorenkatu in Helsinki. Carl Edvard Lindgren is the first manufacturer of industrial brushes and painting tools in Finland.

1920s

Carl Edvard Lindgren acts as a strong leader in the company right until is death in 1928. Within the company he is know for being very responsible, purposeful and energetic. After Carl Edvard’s death, C.E. Lindgren becomes a joint-stock company, where all of the founder’s descendants are stock owners. Carl Edvard’s son-in-law, Gösta Rosenberg, leads the company for the following 18 years, and under his lead the company continues to grow and develop.

1930s

C.E. Lindgren introduces it’s well-known painting tool brand CEL on the market.

1950s

The stock company C.E. Lindgren Ab is founded, and its shares are divided between the four owner families. In 1959 the factory is moved to Jokikatu in Porvoo, as the factory on Punavuorenkatu has gotten too cramped.

1960s

in 1960 C.E. Lindgren hires a company director from outside of the family, Axel Bergström. He is successful in modernizing C.E. Lindgren, and intensifying all the company’s activities.

1970s

C.E. Lindgren acquire Sivellinteollisuus Oy, and this focuses the production even more on delivering high quality brushes. The production is also automated and mechanized according to industry trends. In 1976 the factory moves yet again, this time to the industrial area in Tarmola in Porvoo.

1980s

At the beginning of the decade the owners’ want to sell their shares in the company, and the chairman of the board at the time, Stig Brunow, therefor acquires the shares for sale.

At the end of the 1980s C.E. Lindgren ends their production of household brushes, and focuses all production on painting tools and industrial brushes.

1990s

C.E. Lindgren acquires Kirkkala Oy, a company specialized in manufacturing plastic fiber, that is used in the production of road sweeper brushes and for plastic matting for ski jump facilities. C.E. Lindgren has later focused all the production on plastic matting for both ski jump facilities and sledding facilities. 

At the end of the 1990s C.E. Lindgren also enter into a subcontracting agreement of the production of painting brushes with the Swedish company Anza.

2000s

In 2007 C.E. Lindgren closes Kirkkala Oy:s factory in Längelmäki, and moves all production to Porvoo.

2010s

In 2017 C.E. Lindgren acquires E. Vuorio. The company now operates on three business areas: tools, industrial brushes and plastic matting. A solid experience, skilled personnel, high quality products as a result of product development and specialization has made C.E. Lindgren into a successful and internationally significant company. In Finland C.E. Lindgren is the market leader both on the tool- and industrial brush market. As a manufacturer of plastic matting Lindgren is the market leader world wide.

The CEO of C.E. Lindgren is Alexander Brunow, and the company continues to operate as a family-owned business, with the Brunow family’s third generation as active owners.