Fredrikson graduation cap production to end as Masi Jeans closes factory in Viitasaari

The production of the Fredrikson graduation caps, a long-standing tradition in Finland, is set to cease as Masi Jeans has announced the closure of its factory in Viitasaari by the end of the year. According to Anu Koskimäki, CEO of Masi Jeans, the manufacturing will move to Lithuania. The Fredrikson brand was transferred earlier this fall to C.L. Seifert, the largest manufacturer of graduation caps in the Nordic countries, which operates its own factory in Lithuania.

For 130 years, Finland has produced Fredrikson caps, which are among the most popular graduation hats in the country. The brand has deep roots in Finland, with its tie and bow tie factory starting operations in Jyväskylä in 1887, followed by the commencement of graduation cap production in 1892. In the early 1990s, Fredrikson merged with the Finnish clothing manufacturer Masi Jeans, which moved the cap production to Keitele in 2015 and to Viitasaari in 2017.

The Viitasaari plant has produced up to 150 graduation caps daily during peak seasons, typically in the spring, although production continued year-round. With the factory’s closure, six employees will be affected, but Masi Jeans will maintain a retail store in Viitasaari. Koskimäki noted that the company will now focus on its core business of denim manufacturing, having shifted other operations to Estonia a few years ago. While Fredrikson caps will no longer be produced in Finland, E. R. Wahlman continues to manufacture graduation hats in the country.