Tulikivi Soapstone

A Tulikivi quarry near Juuka, Finland

Tulikivi Oy and its subsidiaries form the Tulikivi Group, specializing in the manufacture of soapstone fireplaces and building stone. The Tulikivi Group is the world's largest soapstone manufacturer as well as one of the world's largest suppliera of heat-retaining fireplaces. Tulikivi's main quarries and production plants are located in Juuka, Finland, near a large deposit of high quality soapstone.

History

Soapstone quarrying in Finland has its roots in the distant past. At various times the material was used in building, and was especially exported to Russia. By the end of World War II, most builders had turned to steel and eventually, the quarries fell silent. Twenty years ago, a movement arose to revive the use of soapstone.

In 1980 the old enterprise reopened its operation, this time under the guidance of new entrepreneurs, Eliisa and Reijo Vauhkonen. The company soon began to use the name Tulikivi, which means "fire stone" in Finnish. Since then, the company has continually expanded its innovative product line

Philosophy

Juka Tomilia carves a salmon in soapstone
for another custom fireplace.

The Tulikivi is environmentally responsible. Because a unique contra-flow design and long flame path ensure almost complete combustion, the fire burns extremely clean, producing minimal emissions of smoke and carbon monoxide. Proper wood burning does not affect the atmosphere's carbon dioxide balance, so using a Tulikivi does not promote the Greenhouse Effect.Tulikivi designer Hannu Kähönen describes his work as follows:

" Soapstone is a stubborn companion - like us Finns. You can't simply force it to become a fireplace. Soapstone raised from the heart of the earth is sensitive. It takes a 'craftsman' who is just as stubborn to transform the stone into a beautiful fireplace. These days people are searching for a primitive, sort of 'nationalistic' - Finnish - way of urban living with fire at its core. Fire has always been an element close at hand from our past as foresters. Somehow the city people lost their connection with fire. Now we are trying to restore this link again."

Tulikivi