Meri Alku, the founder of Pomppa, made the first Pomppa coats for her own agility dogs back in 2008. Her goal was to design timeless and durable products that would allow complete freedom of movement and offer functional solutions for a happy life.
We may have strong roots in the dog sport community, yet Pomppa is for everyone seeking to have fun and connect with their dog on a deeper level. We believe that nurturing that special bond between dogs and humans is the key to a life full of happiness, health and unity – for both us and our dogs!
Over the years, our operations have grown and today Pomppa products can be seen all over the world. Here are the highlights of our story over the years!
Highlights
2007
The story of Pomppa begins in 2007, when Meri Alku was finishing up her engineering studies of Textile and Clothing Technology in Lahti University of Applied Sciences.
After years of doing goal-oriented agility with her dogs, Meri noticed that any of the dogwear at the time didn’t meet the high demands of the dog sport community. So for her thesis, she decided to focus on the dogwear industry and create the most unique dog coat. As a result, Pomppa’s first product was born: PerusPomppa.
Photo: Meri and her Pumi Sinni competing in 2012.
28/02/2008
After completing her thesis, Meri knew she had found her field. After her studies, she continued to develop the product and also prepared to start her own company. This is how Pomppa Oy was born, established in February 28, 2008.
Photo: Meri’s Piippa Poodle in January 2008, wearing one of the first Pomppa coats.
2008
Pomppa was first introduced to the public in September 2008 at the agility World Championships in Helsinki. The collection already included four products: Sade, Perus, Toppa and PikaPomppa. The premiere exceeded all expectations and Pomppa products were a success.
Photo: Pomppa’s first marketing materials.
2009-2014
In the coming years, Pomppa could be seen in many fairs, competitions and other dog-related events. Pomppa’s reputation and the demand for products continued to grow, and a steady footing among the agility community had been achieved. Production quantities multiplied, the color selection expanded and many more retailers were found.
Photo: Meri greeting fair visitors at Pomppa’s stand in 2009.
2015
After seven years of operations, it was time to celebrate Pomppa’s 50th “dog year” anniversary. In honor of the celebration, the most unique PerusPomppa was introduced: JuhlaPomppa, aka PartyPomppa in English. These products were made of the production’s leftover materials, thus each coat was one of a kind. JuhlaPomppa is also a true collector’s item as only ten coats per size were available!
Photo: Meri’s dogs Mudi Hoppu and Pumi Sinni wearing the colorful JuhlaPomppa coats.
2016
The long-awaited product, KevytPomppa, was added to the collection. This midseason coat was created by the requests of customers: a raincoat with a thin, warm lining.
Photo: At the launch, KevytPomppa was available in colors black, lemon, dark petrol and pink.
2017
In the following season, another novelty was introduced: JumppaPomppa. Today, JumppaPomppa remains Pomppa’s most popular product and it has earned its place as an essential piece of gear for countless of dogs.
In the same year, the word about Pomppa spread widely and more and more products could be found from international retailers as well.
2018
Happy 10th Birthday Pomppa! In celebration of the anniversary, a cheerful Kymppi pattern was created. The name Kymppi means number ten in English. The large colorful areas of the pattern were inspired by the popular JuhlaPomppa of 2015.
2021
Pomppa’s journey originally began from Marjaniemi Helsinki, in Meri’s father’s basement, with only a large cutting table and two sewing machines. Over the years the facilities have developed and grown in size. In 2021 the Pomppa office and warehouse moved into a facility of more than 400 m2 in Tuusula.
2023
Today Pomppa continues its steady growth. The supportive community and the large network of partners make it possible for Pomppa products to be sold in almost 30 countries today.
The Pomppa pack itself has also gown, and now the eager team is determined to carry Pomppa’s story forward together.