About us

Oy Suomi-Neon is Finland's oldest manufacturer of illuminated signs. The company was founded in 1927 and has a history of manufacturing a variety of products from painted wooden signs illuminated by bulbs to modern LED signs. We produce signs illuminated by neon- LED- and fluorescent lamps as well as non-illuminated signs and stickers.


HISTORY

1898 Neon is discovered.

11.12 1910
Georges Claude presents the world's first neon sign in Paris.
The first sign is sold in 1912 and three years later Claude gets his invention patented.

1923
Claude's company sells the first neon sign to the USA.

1927 Sven Jokimaa purchases a license from Claude and founds Jokimaan Kilpitehdas (Jokimaa's sign factory) and later on the name is changed to Oy Suomi-Neon. During the 1930's the company is situated on many addresses in central Helsinki, among others on the place where Sokos department store is situated today.

1948 Suomi-Neon moves into the "green house" on Kalevankatu 45.

1962
Nick Holonyak invents the light emitting diode.

1970's
Usage of acrylic plastic becomes common in neon signs and so does fluorescent lamps.

1981
Stig Lindqvist becomes owner and CEO.

1985 Suomi-Neon makes and installs Radio City's colorful, flashing neon sign at the Lepakkoluola building in Helsinki's Ruoholahti district, and it becomes a notable landmark.

1990's Bank crisis and recession in Finland leads to many changes in the signage industry.

2000's
Light emitting diodes (LEDs) become a common light source in signs and Suomi-Neon is one of the first Finnish sign companies to introduce this solution into the sortiment. Over a decade, LED in practice replaces neon in signs that have a plastic front.

1.10 2001 Suomi-Neon moves to the industrial building Kisällitalo in Vallila.

2008 After purchasing a cutting plotter, also stickers become a notable part of our business.

2010's More frequently also larger cabinet signs are lit by LEDs instead of fluorescent lamps. At the same time traditional neon makes a forceful comeback especially in indoor signs of restaurants.

2016 We make and install two very noticeable Playhouse LED signs at our home building Kisällitalo.

2020's Towards new challenges, even though the decade began with a pandemic that affects many sectors, including the sign business.