Åbo Skeppswarf
Åbo Gamla Skeppswarf in about 1840. | |
Native name | Swedish: Åbo Skeppwarf Aktie Bolaget Finnish: Turun Laivaveistämö Osakeyhtiö |
|---|---|
| Formerly | Robert Fithie (1741–1765) C. G. Fithie (1765–1782) Gamla Skeppwarf Bolaget (1782–1796) Gamla Skeppswarfet (1795–1800) Åbo Gamla Skeppswarf Ab (1800–1841) Gamla Warfsbolaget i Åbo (1841–1871) |
| Company type | osakeyhtiö |
| Industry | shipbuilding |
| Predecessor | Wechter & Rungeen (1732–1741) |
| Founded | November 16, 1741 in Turku, Sweden |
| Founder | Robert Fithie |
| Defunct | October 26, 1883 |
| Fate | acquired by W:m Crichton & C:o Ab |
| Headquarters | , |
Number of employees | over 300 (early 1880s) |
Åbo Skeppswarfs Aktie Bolaget was a shipbuilding company that operated in Turku, Finland Proper, in 1741–1883.
The company was started by Robert Fithie, who later handed over the business to his son Carl Fithie. After this the yard operated under different names and the owners were mostly local Finnish merchants. The company was also a significant rope producer. The first steamship was built in 1834 and in 1851 the company built the largest ship in Finland at the time. The last sailing merchant ship was built in 1878.
In the early 1880s the company employed 300 people. The major shareholder became William Crichton, the owner of the neighbouring yard. He bought the company and in 1883 he incorporated it to his own yard W:m Crichton & C:o Ab.