Kaleva was founded by Juho Raappaana in 1899. From the beginning its mission was to enhance psychical and economic wellbeing of the local community, with love as the starting point and truth as the goal.
Today, we operate across more than half of Finland, still inspired in our work by Raappana’s declaration.
Advocating for Wellbeing
Raappana believed that empowering growth of a region enhances well-being of its people. Throughout our company’s history, the promotion of commerce, industry, transportation, tourism, and other business activities has been seen as key to the success of our region.
Bold Actions
When Russian-controlled censorship shut Kaleva down for three months in 1901, its loyal advertisers were not abandoned. During that period, Kaleva served its distribution area under the name “Lukekaa ilmoituksia” that is “Read the Advertisements”.
Women’s Voice
In the early 20th century, new types of special sections and themed issues were created for readers—formats not previously seen in Oulu. For example, an agriculture section appeared in Kaleva.
Even before women gained the right to vote, Kaleva published a column intended for women. Equality was regarded as essential to the development of democracy. In 1906, Finland became the first European country in which women could both run for office and vote.
Becoming the Most Local Partner Across Borders
Over more than 125 years, Kaleva has grown into a media house for local life and a most local partner across borders.
Our operations today focus on three business areas: media, printing and distribution, and marketing and communications services.
