Robert Mattson (businessman)
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commercial counsellor Robert Emanuel Mattson |
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| Born |
16 May 1851 Vårdö, Åland, Grand Duchy of Finland |
| Died | 10 May 1935 (aged 83) Helsinki, Finland |
| Education | shipmaster |
| Board member of |
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| Spouse(s) | 1884–1915: Amanda Gustava née Savander 1916→: Sonja née Bergroth (formerly Tschaplin) |
| Parent(s) | Mats Mattson and Serafia Elisabeth Matsdotter |
| Awards | commercial counsellor 1919 |
Robert Emanuel Mattson (16 May 1851 — 10 May 1935) was a Finnish shipowner and businessman.
Mattson was born in Åland to a shipowner family. He went to sea at young age and studied shipmaster degree. After ten years at sea he settled in Mariehamn and started trading; soon he went into shipping business. Mattson operated solely old sailing ships, which were often lost due to their poor condition. However, the business was profitable. In the 1920s Mattson changed to steam ships but could not operate them successfully.
Mattson became a major owner of Helsinki-based Kone- ja Siltarakennus engineering company. The company grew rapidly but by the 1930s it had fallen into financial problems. Also Mattson's personal financial situation weakened, and following to his death, the company's main creditor sold his shares.
Mattson was born in Vårdö, Åland. His father Mats Mattson was a shipowner and locally influential business person. At the age of 16 Mattson, against his father's will, became sailor. He studied in Mariehamn Sailing School graduating shipmaster in 1872, at age of 21. In the same year he made an excursion to UK. Subsequently, Mattson mastered two sailing ships. In 1878, after spending about ten years at sea, Mattson became trader in Mariehamn and he opened another shop in Sund. However, trading was not very profitable because it was not possible to reach large volumes in Mariehamn where were just 500 inhabitants.
At the early 1880s Mattson started shipping business first as minor shareholder of various ships, later as sole owner. He bought old, at least quarter of century old sailing ships. By the 1890s steamers started to replace sailing ships and Mattson could obtain good sailing ships for relatively cheap. Until the end of the 19th century Mattson only owned wooden ships; in 1900 he bought majority ownership of two steel-hulled windjammers and one barque.
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