page_title: Gustaf Wrede
section_title: Valmet
hierarchical_section_title: Gustaf Wrede / Valmet
caption_attribution_description: English: Valmet tractors at State's Rifle Factory (Valtion Kivääritehdas) in Jyväskylä, Finland in the 1950s Suomi: Valmet-traktoreista Jyväskylän Valtion Kivääritehtaalla 1950-luvulla
context_page_description: Gustaf Woldemar Wrede af Elimä was a Finnish Freiherr, engineer and businessman. He is best known for his contribution to Finnish tractor production.
  Wrede was born to influential Finnish industrialist Wrede family; his father Freiherr Carolus Wrede worked as manager in number of Finnish engineering companies. Due to his background, Wrede got a good education and subsequently a good position in his father's company, in which he designed Kullervo tractor.
  As manager of Ab Dalsbruk Wrede grew a hardy manager who saved the company from closure and developed the production. During World War II Wrede led the nickel mining company Petsamon Nikkeli Oy. After the war he led the metal industry production for war reparations to the Soviet Union. As manager of Valmet, Wrede participated in developing of Valmet tractors.
context_section_description: After the war Wrede was called to lead engineering industry production in Delegation of War Reparation Industry (Soteva), where he worked in 1944–1952. In 1945–1951 he worked as manager of Ares Oy. He was nominated to lead Valmet but the left-wing member of the board resisted the idea. Situation changed in the 1950s after Finland had paid off the war reparations – Valmet fell into crisis, as it had to find new lines of business and start working in free market. The company needed an experienced and determined leader, and Wrede became selected new manager of Valmet in 1954 after nomination by Väinö Tanner. Valmet had been formed by putting together a number of companies, many of them experienced in defence industry. It was the most significant domestic competitor of the other leading Finnish engineering company Wärtsilä Group − managed by Wrede's brother-in-law.
  When seeking for a new direction, Valmet had started producing tractors. Wrede had a passion to the subject, originating from his youth, and he participated actively on tractor designing. Finnish agriculture mechanised rapidly in the 1950s and Valmet tractors gained a strong foothold in the domestic market.
  Gustaf Wrede died at his home in Königstedt Manor in February 1958 after suffering of cancer.
caption: New Valmet tractors at State Rifle Factory in the 1950s.
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