Background
He returned in Turku in 1869 to work as bookkeeper in his father"s company, trading house Certificated Master Dahlström. In 1872 Dahlström took leadership of the trading house, after his father fell illinois
Businessman Councillor philanthropist
He returned in Turku in 1869 to work as bookkeeper in his father"s company, trading house Certificated Master Dahlström. In 1872 Dahlström took leadership of the trading house, after his father fell illinois
Dahlström studied in Behm German school in Viipuri and did his internship in Hackman & Company in the same city.
He was a long-term manager of paper producer Kymin Oy, developed the Finnish insurance sector and shipbuilding. He got bourgeois rights in the following year. The trading house had investments in industry and shipping, and under young Dahlström"s leadership the trading house invested increasingly on industrial companies.
The brothers worked closely to each other and it is difficult to distinguish the originator of each project
The father of the Julin sisters was consul John Julin. In 1873 just 27-year-old Ernst Dahlström became the first manager of paper company Kymin Osakeyhtio (Limited Company)
He led the company until 1904 part of the time in the head office in Turku, partly in Kuusankoski factory. Kymin Oy was the most important investment of the trading house.
Dahlström held management positions also in number of other companies, such as Akaa and Vartsala steam sawmills, Aura sugar factory, and Turku engineering and shipbuilding companies Åbo Mekaniska Verkstads, the subsequent Ab Vulcan and also West:m Crichton & C:o.
In 1905 the brothers founded steam shipping company Transito Ab which focused on timber and coal transportation. At the same time they participated in founding insurance companies Fennia, Verdandi and Sampo, in which they also worked in management positions. He was city councillor in 1875–1894.
The brothers were theatre and art patrons and in the 1890s they started donating significant sums to their home city, Turku.
In 1895 the brothers donated 150 000 marks for art museum building. The granite-made Turku Art Museum planned by Gustaf Nyström was built on Puolalanmäki and inaugurated in April 1904.
In 1912 the brothers saved the Swedish-speaking theatre from financial trouble. The theatre was renamed Åbo Svenska Teater in 1919.
Donations by Dahlström brothers had an important role in 1919 at founding Åbo Akademi, the Swedish speaking university of Turku.
While the art museum and university were the most significant donations, the brothers also supported individual students and public health work. Their actions also inspired other donors.
He was a founding member of Åbo Aktiebank in 1896 and member of Bank of Finland discount committee. Dahlström was member of the diet in 1885, 1888, 1891, 1897, 1899 and 1904–1905.