August Ivar Lindfors, head of Division to the National Board of Trade

As a young boy Ivar Lindfors moved to Helsinki after graduating from Porvoo high school in 1891.

Ivar Lindfors was the majority owner of Lovisa Railway Oy, Chairman of the Board of Helsinki Magazine Ltd., director of the Finnish Port Authority and the Finnish Port Association. He was furthermore an influential force in Helsinki Telephone Company (later Elisa Oyj). 

From 1919 to 1925 he was director of the sweets factory owned by his wife’s, Ida Louise Lindfors (born Blomqvist) family, Aktiebolaget Blomqvist & Co Osakeyhtiö. Blomqvist & Co was Finland’s second biggest sweets factory and an important producer of chocolate, candies, pastilles, marmalade and biscuits.

Ivar Lindfors was above all a central trustee in the business world and an influential force in the municipality of Helsinki. He was councilor in Helsinki City Council, chairman of the Finland Chamber of Commerce and occupied several positions of trust. 

Ivar Lindfors was said to be objective, impartial and a skillful mediator. 

He was married twice, first to Ida Louise and later to Aili Theslöf. There were six children in the family: Ragnar, Irma, Margit, Berith, Elma and a daughter who died young. 

In his leisure time he practiced sports, such as skiing and cycling. He is said to have skated from Porvoo to Helsinki, fell into a hole in the ice, dried himself and bravely continued to his destination. He bought a farm in the city of Espoo where he liked to spend time farming.