Honkarakenne

Honkarakenne was founded in 1958 by the Saarelainen brothers in eastern Finland. The company developed from a small sawmilling and planing business and was among the early Finnish firms to industrialize traditional log construction, which had previously relied mainly on handcrafted methods. By introducing factory-based production and prefabricated log components, Honkarakenne contributed to making log houses more standardized and suitable for larger-scale production. During the 1960s and early 1970s, the company expanded its operations and gradually moved away from small-scale sawmilling toward industrial log house manufacturing. A key milestone was the establishment of Karstula, in Central Finland, as the company’s main production site in the early 1970s. The location offered access to raw materials and transport links, and over time Karstula became the center of Honkarakenne’s manufacturing activities. From the 1970s onward, Honkarakenne increased its domestic presence and began to expand internationally through export projects. By the 1980s, international sales had become an important part of the business, particularly in Central Europe and Japan. In 1987, Honkarakenne was listed on the Helsinki Stock Exchange. ==Markets==