Ekovilla Oy, which mainly uses recycled newsprint as the raw material for its blown wool, has been committed to ecology and the circular economy for over 40 years.
However, the story of ecological insulation in Finland began a little earlier. The company, which started as Kymen Puhalluseristevilla Oy in 1979, changed its name to Ekovilla Oy in 1986.
“A few blown wool companies started in Finland at the turn of the 1970s and 1980s. The idea of using newsprint as insulation came from the USA at that time,” CEO of Ekovilla Oy Matti Kaski expose.
Ekovilla's carbon-neutral blown wool is a popular insulation in single-family homes and is also widely used in professional construction.
"It is an environmentally friendly product made from domestic raw materials, breathable and with excellent thermal insulation properties. It also acts as a carbon storage throughout its entire life cycle."
Kaski adds that Ekovilla is the largest manufacturer of wood fiber insulation in its field in Finland and the market leader in insulation for the upper floors of detached houses.
"Our market share in blown wool has increased slightly, and in insulation boards it has decreased slightly. In single-family house construction, our market share in blown wool is over 50 percent."
The main raw material for blown wool is still recycled newsprint. Today, some recycled cardboard and other wood fiber by-products from the forest industry are also included.
“All our factories have sorting lines for recovered paper, from which we clean the debris and remove the shiny paper.”
The production pillar of the circular economy group
Matti Kaski, through Kaski Partners Oy, is also the CEO of the EcoUp circular economy group, which Ekovil has also been a part of since 2020. The group's number one brand is Ekovilla's cellulose fiber insulation, either blown into the upper floor of houses or as wall insulation in the form of a plate.
From Ekovilla's perspective, EcoUp is a developer of new circular economy solutions and the things of tomorrow. The group thus brings additional shoulders and future prospects to Ekovilla with its product development work. However, Ekovilla's business is essential for the entire group. The EcoUp group's turnover in 2023 was approximately 30 million euros. Approximately 25 million of this came from Ekovilla.
Towards better times
The last three years since the war in Ukraine began have also been challenging for Ekovilla. The general construction recession also caused a collapse in single-family house construction.
“Customers' budgets have tightened considerably. Of course, people still want to build more ecologically sustainable and breathable buildings, but the overall cost increase is visible. From a construction perspective, interest rates quickly started going in the wrong direction. However, the worst is probably over, interest rates are already falling. I believe that this will turn around by next summer at the latest.”
Ekovilla Oy
– Founded in 1979 under the name Kymen Puhalluseristevilla Oy.
– In 1985, factories were opened in Kuusankoski, Ylistaro and Kiiminki. The Ekovilla brand was born.
– Ekovilla Oy was founded in 1986.
– As of 2020, part of the EcoUp circular economy group.
– The company employs approximately 180 people.
– Newest factory in Vantaa in 2024.
