Acoustic panels made of pine needles picked from Põlvamaa are conquering the world

Margus Siilik grew up in Värska surrounded by pine forests, and because he was fascinated by the silence of the forests, he came up with the idea to start producing noise-absorbing panels from pine needles. Although the idea is a decade old, it took years to reach the first prototype. OÜ Okkastyle has been operating for three years now, and during this time the company has also reached the markets of Finland, Switzerland and Germany.

"We are drowning in plastic pollution, so my goal was to make a product from clean raw materials that decompose at the end of its life cycle without leaving any waste. In addition, wood is regenerative, and by using needles we add value to forest by-products," Margus Siilik introduced the company's business philosophy.

The company, which sells its products under the OKKA brand, is an example of the symbiosis of social entrepreneurship and the green economy. Raw or pine branches are collected from RMK's cutting logs located in Põlvamaa, and residents of Maarja village are hired to collect needles from the branches.

"We are very satisfied with the cooperation with Maarja küla. Our goal is not to automate the picking of thorns, but to offer an application to those who can afford this job," said the entrepreneur. "Ideally, people who make a living picking berries and mushrooms in the summer could collect thorns for us in the winter, and in this way, we would also provide income to those who want to make a living from a natural way of life."

Thorn acoustic and decorative panels

Once the thorns have reached the workshop, they are made into panels. First, the thorns are dried, then they are impregnated with fireproofing and placed in moulds that are made to sound alive using linen felt and fabric.

All panels are made as so-called tailoring, therefore, the frames are made according to the customer's wishes, and the spines are also given the right colour if desired. Currently, the needles in the OKKA panel are painted with water-based paints, but the company is also experimenting with natural paints.

The most interest is in OKKA acoustic panels, and in this area, the company cooperates with one of the most famous acousticians in Estonia, Linda Madalik. OKKA panels can be found in both public buildings and private houses. "In spacious private houses there are problems with echo, and our panels help to suppress it, and there is also a growing trend to use panels as an interior design element," he added.

People are tired of plastic

Although OKKA's products can already be found on foreign markets, Margus Siilik hopes for a new export jump in Germany. During the Cologne furniture fair, we met Freund GmbH, a company that produces interior design elements from natural materials, which is ready to diversify its product portfolio with OKKA panels.

The chances of success of OKKA panels are great in the European market, as the customers there are becoming increasingly aware and the interest in natural products is on the rise. "The people are tired of plastic and fast furniture, and if you look at the young generation, recycling and giving new value to old objects is popular among them," Siilik was sure.