Sock production in Nurmes ends after over 50 years

More than half a century of sock manufacturing in Nurmes has come to an end, as production equipment and jobs have been relocated to western Finland, Yle reports.

The Tesema sock factory, a fixture of Nurmes’ business landscape since the 1970s, ceased operations this summer after Tampere-based Sidoste Oy acquired the company. The deal, finalised earlier this year, excluded the factory premises and staff.

All knitting machines were moved to Sidoste’s facilities in Tampere after Midsummer. Around ten permanent employees, fewer in the final phase, were made redundant.

Sidoste, one of Finland’s largest sock manufacturers with a turnover of nearly €4 million, produces all its goods in Tampere and employs over 30 people. CEO Janne Tamminen said the acquisition supports the company’s growth strategy for 2027–2028.

The factory’s origins trace back to 1974, when SOK launched a sock plant in Nurmes. After SOK divested in the 1980s, three local entrepreneurs—Teuvo, Seppo, and Matti—founded Tesema Neule in 1989, later relocating production from Hyvärilä to Porokylä. The company supplied socks to major retailers, the Finnish Defence Forces, and even exported Moomin-themed socks to Japan, employing over 20 people at its peak.

Matti Alatalo, a longtime employee, expressed regret over the loss of industrial jobs in Nurmes. “Ten industrial jobs would have been needed here,” he said.

Teemu Riikonen, a Tesema board member, noted that a local business, Nurmes Teräsmyynti, will now occupy the factory space.