at the yard was produced in an own sawmill. Transporting of raw material was done on waterway, but during the winter months by horses from Pieksämäki railway station. Transportation became easier when a railway line to Varkaus was completed in 1913 and a railway stop was built in Lehtoniemi. Ownership base expansion During the 1910s the business had run well, but as the production and materials tied a lot of capital, the company was vulnerable to economic downturns. Reduction of orders from the most significant customer, Imperial Russian Army, led to difficulties. The company form was changed to limited liability company under name Oy Lehtoniemi Ab on 15 January 1917. A part of the shares were sold to a St. Petersburg businessman Harald Lundsten and Emissioni Oy. The facilities could be now further modernised; in summer 1922 installed compressor plant increased productivity significantly, and a new carpenter shop followed in 1927. The company got more orders and the production achieved the goals. In 1925 the company owners were Liittopankki Oy with 45% share, Kansallis-Osake-Pankki (28%) and Wilhelm Wahlforss (17%). In 1928 the ownership of Liittopankki had climbed up to 51%. Managers The following engineers worked as Lehtoniemi executive directors. Labour A community of workers grew around the factory. The number of workers varied according to workload. The largest mentioned number of workers was over 600. Many of the workers lived in their own cottages or lodged in nearby houses. Initially there were seven houses with factory apartments, and later more were built. As was common at the time, the factory took care of the workers and their families. The workers had a sickness fund, library and reading room. The workers' children could go to school owned by the company. Also freetime activities flourished: the workers had a choir, brass quartet and gymnastics group. The Lehtoniemi Labour Association was founded in 1904. The association was active since the beginning, and got also members from Varkaus, where the local A. Ahlström factory management did not tolerate labour movement. The association planned to build a community hall, but the project was cancelled due to a strike that took place on 20 April 1906. The strike ended soon, because a large part of the workers broke against the strike rather than became unemployed. The striking action weakened the Labour Association for a long time. End of production At the end of the 1920s the