The Ylöjärvi-based sock manufacturer Sukkamestarit Oy has won the Innovation Award in the Scandinavian Outdoor Awards competition with its new-generation outdoor sock under the UphillSport brand.
The Scandinavian Outdoor Awards is a competition organized by the Scandinavian Outdoor Group (SOG) since 2005, aimed at supporting product and design innovations and promoting new Scandinavian outdoor products. There are five competition categories.
Sukkamestarit was also among the KasvuOpen top 10 companies in the Entrepreneur of the Year competition in November 2023.
Responsibility and innovative use of materials created the winning product
The Ylöjärvi-based Sukkamestarit Oy took part in the Scandinavian Awards competition with its UphillSport brand. The product line focuses on technical merino wool socks. The competition product, the Repo hiking sock, combines innovative use of materials, responsibility, and practicality. Through an exceptional combination of materials and a multi-layer knitting technique developed by Sukkamestarit, all the benefits of layering have been brought together in one product.
Sukkamestarit is the only sock factory in Europe that uses exclusively NATIVA merino wool from an open production chain in its products. In producing this exceptionally responsibly sourced merino wool, recycled rainwater is used, the animals' species-typical behavior is protected, and the workers' conditions are strictly defined.
The winning product also uses Tencel cellulosic fiber. Tencel's manufacturing process is environmentally friendly, as the chemicals used in producing the fiber can largely be reused.
The recognition is highly valued in the clothing industry. The jury consists of the most respected suppliers, retailers, and bloggers in the sector across Europe, as well as one member from the USA.
Product evaluation is based on thorough testing. The international jury selects the best product based on functionality, quality, innovation, sustainability of design, and performance:
- Too often we take socks for granted, but this product had our jury talking about socks for hours! In short: if your feet are always cold, these socks will keep them warmer. The key is the innovative material blend - Tencel, polypropylene, polyamide, and Lycra - combined with warming NATIVA merino wool. The socks tested by the entire jury performed excellently in arctic conditions. They kept feet pleasantly warm, dry, and above all warm. This is a trendsetting product for other manufacturers, the international jury stated about their user experience of the winning product.
With responsible merino wool socks to Taiwan and Norway
Sukkamestarit’s turnover has been in good momentum in recent years, and the trend is upward.
- We have responded to our customers’ changing needs and focused on merino wool lifestyle socks and technical products. Product design and assortment management are becoming more demanding all the time, which requires ever broader expertise across the company, summarizes CEO Jussi Koskinen as the drivers of growth now and in the future.
- Our goal of moving from a manufacturer of basic socks to a specialist in special socks has now materialized in the best possible way. To our delight, our products have been received very positively both in Finland, the EU and Switzerland, as well as now, as a new opening, in Taiwan and Norway, says Jani Tarkki, who serves as plant manager and export sales director about Sukkamestarit’s international markets.
- Openness in responsibility matters, NATIVA and a top-quality product are what resonate, but also the fact that as a factory and brand owner we are able to serve our customers with flexible operating models. Our expertise and service are trusted; we know what the four seasons require of a sock, continues Tarkki.
Sukkamestarit currently sells its products to about 20 countries. The most important export countries are Germany and Sweden. Norway is set to challenge for a place alongside Germany and Sweden in short order. The share of exports is expected to rise to 30% in 2024.
Sukkamestarit in a nutshell:
- One of the leading sock manufacturers in Finland
- Factory and headquarters in Ylöjärvi
- Company founded in 1996
- Revenue in 2022 EUR 5.17 million
- Export share of revenue in 2022 20%
- 40 employees
- Three in-house brands UphillSport, Sukkamestarit and TOEZZ Hockey
