Finn-Korkki
Corporate brand
UnclaimedFinn-Korkki is a Finnish family-owned manufacturer of metal bottle caps and closures, including ring pull caps, crown corks, and luxury aluminium closures, serving the global beverage industry since 1868.
Last updated September 26, 2026
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Overview
Finn-Korkki is a Finnish family-owned company that manufactures metal bottle caps and closures for the global beverage industry. Its product range includes ring pull bottle caps, ring pull cap sealing machines, luxury aluminium closures, and crown cork bottle caps. The company is based in Hämeenlinna, Finland, and delivers products to more than 50 countries worldwide. It is the only manufacturer of metal caps in the Nordic countries. The company's history dates back to 1868, when Swedish industrialist August Wicander founded his first business in Sweden. In 1871, he founded Åbo Korkfabrik in Turku, Finland, to manufacture cork bottle closures. Over the following decades, the Wicander family expanded across Europe and Russia. In the 1930s, Wicanders developed the aluminium tear-off bottle cap known as ALKA. In 1989, the Finnish subsidiary's factory in Hämeenlinna was purchased by its management, and the company continued as Finn-Korkki. Today, Finn-Korkki designs and manufactures ring crown cap equipment, offering supervised installation and operator training. The company is committed to sustainability, with certifications including ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 22000, and ISO 45001. It has invested in solar power at its factory and actively addresses packaging regulations such as the EU's PPWR. Finn-Korkki remains a family-owned business, with operations rooted in over 150 years of closure manufacturing.
History
The history of Finn-Korkki Oy's business activities starts in 1868, when Swedish industrialist August Wicander (1836–1891) founded his first company in Sweden. Wicander entered the cork stopper industry somewhat by chance, after exchanging his farm for a commercial premises in Stockholm. The previous owner, Mr. G.A. Horner, had been ill and had not removed his tube-making machine, which was used to make beer and wine corks. Despite efforts, Wicander could not sell the premises. Noticing a high demand for cork stoppers, he began manufacturing them himself. In 1871, August Wicander founded Åbo Korkfabrik in Turku, Finland, to manufacture bottle caps from cork. Over the next 60 years, factories, offices, and warehouses were opened across Europe and Russia. Cork plantations and a competitor were brought in Portugal. The Russian and Polish companies were nationalised in 1917 and 1945 respectively. In the 1890s, the company owned its own ships to transport cork imported from Portugal. The first ship, A. Wicander, made its first transport in 1891. Upon August Wicander's death that same year at age 54, the company was taken over by his son, Hjalmar Wicander (1860–1939). In the 1910s, the company launched production of the Ideal cap, predecessor of the Alka cap. It was manufactured at the Nya A/B Fermia factory in Helsingborg and Riga. The company had several factories, offices, and warehouses in Europe and Russia. The Russian factories were lost during the Russian revolutions of 1917 when the Soviet Union confiscated foreign company assets without compensation. Upon Hjalmar Wicander's retirement in 1918, he was succeeded by his son, Carl August Wicander (1885–1952), who had already worked in the company for 14 years. Production continued in Lithuania, which became independent after World War I. A production and sales company was established in newly independent Poland. However, the company had to cease operations in the USSR. After World War I, Wicander had only 1.5 million kronor in equity. The new CEO had a difficult task compared to his predecessor: he had to restart almost from scratch. In the early 1920s, growth slowed due to deflation, but from the mid-1920s, the company resumed growth, partly thanks to linoleum. The Soviets also wanted to buy cork from the company through intermediaries. Fearing a raw material shortage as demand for corks, floor coverings, and cork insulation grew due to rising living standards, the company began to explore other bottle closure systems, such as the Quillfeldt stopper (mechanical stopper) and Alka caps. In 1933, Wicanders acquired Svenska Patentkorkfabriken, whose business focused on manufacturing Alka aluminium caps and managing its international patents. The company had been founded by Josef Jonsson, an inventor-manufacturer living in Linköping, Sweden. The Wicanders renamed the company AB ALKA Aluminiumkapslar. The tear-off cap designed by Mr. Jonsson was cut from an aluminium strip and had a natural cork seal. The machine that made the aluminium caps placed them on bottle necks and sealed them automatically. After the Alka caps, easy-open MaxiCap aluminium caps were developed in the 1970s. In 1979, the Wicanders group employed 900 people in Sweden and elsewhere in Europe. In addition to bottle caps, the company's production facilities made insulation and decorative products from cork panels. Wicanders held a global patent for tear-off bottle caps. In 1987, the Swedish company AB Wicanders Korkfabriker was split into two: Wicanders Kapsyl AB and Wicanders AB. In 1989, Wicanders Kapsyl, operating internationally, was liquidated and went bankrupt. That same year, the Portuguese group Corticeira Amorim (Amorim Cork International) acquired Wicanders AB and moved production to Portugal. Today, Wicanders is the cork flooring brand of Corticeira Amorim. In Finland, the Wicanders story continued after the management of the Hämeenlinna subsidiary bought the Finn-Korkki factory in 1989. Since then, Finn-Korkki has continued as a family-owned company, manufacturing metal bottle caps and closures. The company has been designing and manufacturing ring crown cap equipment since 1979. It delivers products to more than 50 countries and holds certifications including ISO 9001, ISO 14001, ISO 22000, and ISO 45001. In 2023, Finn-Korkki installed solar panels on its factory roofs, and in 2024 it introduced new products such as RipCap 42 and Drinktainer.
- 2024
Finn-Korkki introduces RipCap 42 and Drinktainer.
- 2023
Finn-Korkki installs solar panels on its factory roofs.
- 2006
Finn-Korkki begins certifying its operations, starting with ISO 9001 and expanding to other standards.
- 1989
Wicanders Kapsyl goes bankrupt; Corticeira Amorim acquires Wicanders AB. Management of Hämeenlinna subsidiary buys Finn-Korkki factory.
- 1987
AB Wicanders Korkfabriker split into Wicanders Kapsyl AB and Wicanders AB.
- 1979
Wicanders group employs 900 people; Finn-Korkki begins designing and manufacturing ring crown cap equipment.
- 1970
Easy-open MaxiCap aluminium caps developed.
- 1933
Wicanders acquires Svenska Patentkorkfabriken, renaming it AB ALKA Aluminiumkapslar, focusing on aluminium caps.
- 1918
Hjalmar Wicander retires; his son Carl August Wicander becomes CEO.
- 1917
Russian factories lost during the Russian revolutions; Soviet Union confiscates foreign assets.
Products and positioning
Specialist manufacturer of metal bottle closures and sealing equipment for the global beverage industry, emphasizing innovation, quality, and sustainability.
Ring pull bottle caps
Metal caps with a ring pull for easy opening, used on glass, plastic, and metal bottles.
Ring pull cap sealing machines
Equipment for sealing ring pull caps onto bottles, supplied with installation and training.
Luxury aluminium closures
High-end aluminium closures for premium beverage packaging.
Crown cork bottle caps
Traditional crown corks for beer and other beverages.
RingCrown® bottle caps
Patented ring pull caps that can be used on glass, plastic, and metal bottles.
RipCap® bottle caps
Tear-off bottle caps with a cork seal, based on the original ALKA design.
RipCap 42
New product introduced in 2024.
Drinktainer
New product introduced in 2024.
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