The Story of Kevytrakentajan Verkkokauppa
Kevytrakentajan Verkkokauppa syntyi halusta tuoda lujitemuovien raaka-aineet, erikoiskemikaalit ja niihin liittyvä asiantuntemus helposti kaikkien saataville. Verkkokauppa avattiin erityisesti kuluttajien, harrastajien, rakentajien sekä pienten ja keskisuurten yritysten tarpeisiin. Tavoitteena oli ja on edelleen, että laadukkaita erikoismateriaaleja voisi hankkia vaivattomasti myös pieninä määrinä – projektin koosta riippumatta.
Kevytrakentajan Verkkokauppa is the online store of Kevra Oy, a Finnish company founded in 1977. Behind it lies nearly five decades of experience in carbon fiber, composite materials, and light yet strong structures.
At the Roots of Finnish Carbon Fiber Expertise
The story of Kevra Oy began in the 1960s and 1970s, when Ilkka Airasmaa worked in Finland as a sales engineer for textile yarns for the British company Courtaulds Ltd and later as a sales development engineer for the company’s Grafil carbon fibers in the Nordic countries.
At the time, carbon fiber was a new material, and potential civilian applications were being explored alongside its use in aerospace and military technologies. Finland embraced the material with an open mind. It was used in applications including PIK gliders, KOHO ice hockey sticks, Exel ski poles, technical pultruded products, and sailing and motorboats built for competitive use. Finland became one of Europe’s pioneers in the development of civilian carbon fiber applications.
Through his work with carbon fibers, Ilkka became acquainted with experts involved in the PIK-20 glider project. The PIK-20 is recognized as the world’s first series-produced aircraft to use carbon fiber in its load-bearing structures.
Kevra’s product range quickly expanded from carbon fibers to other raw materials used in the composites industry. Its earliest partners included Fillite, Hexcel, and SP Systems, now known as Gurit. Kevra has continued to work with several leading international manufacturers since its very first financial year. During its early years, Kevra also had its own composite manufacturing operations. Their development was significantly influenced by projects commissioned for aircraft operated by the Finnish Air Force, with Jussi Malinen responsible for their production.
Over the years, the product range expanded beyond carbon and glass fiber reinforcements and epoxy resins to include fillers, release agents, RTV silicones, and many other specialty chemicals. Throughout its history, Kevra’s operations have been closely connected to the development of carbon fiber materials, composite structures, and their manufacturing technologies.
Professional-Grade Materials Within Everyone’s Reach
Kevra Oy has traditionally served Finland’s largest companies in the composites industry, as well as numerous small and medium-sized businesses. At the same time, a growing need was identified to serve consumers, hobbyists, repairers, builders, and smaller operators.
Kevytrakentajan Verkkokauppa was created to meet this need.
Accessibility has been at the heart of the online store from the very beginning: purchasing specialty materials should not be difficult or require large order quantities. We wanted to make the same high-quality materials and decades of accumulated expertise available to both businesses and individual makers.
Today, Kevytrakentajan Verkkokauppa serves a wide range of projects, from small repairs, mold making, and hobby builds to demanding professional applications. The online store is supported by Kevra Oy’s expert service and its physical store located in Ylästö, Vantaa.
Experience, Quality Products, and Expert Service
Kevra Oy toimii edelleen samalla periaatteella kuin vuonna 1977: asiakkaita autetaan valitsemaan tarkoitukseen sopivat raaka-aineet sekä ottamaan käyttöön uusia materiaaleja ja valmistusteknologioita. Kevytrakentajan Verkkokaupassa tämä periaate näkyy laadukkaana tuotevalikoimana, tuotteiden helppona saatavuutena ja asiantuntevana palveluna. Olipa kyseessä veneprojekti, prototyyppi, muotin valmistus tai joku muu projekti, tavoitteemme on auttaa onnistumaan.