Who we are
Since 1996, when we offered our first trampoline, sharing the joy of thrill-seeking has been at our core. It’s both who we are and what we do. It’s our mission to spread the love of bouncing and the fun staying active to families everywhere.
From our home in Finland, we have grown from a one-man operation to a global enterprise with customers worldwide. We are proud to be a family-owned business, sharing the craftsmanship of our design and the intelligence of our engineering that we’ve spent decades perfecting. We do this so we can bring you the best bounce in the business with every model we produce.
As we celebrate 25 years of success, we share our story with you. Listen to our CEO Tarmo Sallinen narrate the company’s history or read along our visual timeline. Our journey has been an exhilarating rollercoaster with ups and downs. So, buckle up as we dive into the exciting world of thrill-seeking.
1992
It all starts from a dream
Our story begins in the early ‘90s, when Tarmo Sallinen, a Finnish exchange student studying in the United States, first lays his eyes on a trampoline. It’s love at first sight.
1996
Founding of Acon
When Acon was founded in 1996, the operation was still small. It was one-man show operating from a clattering camper van full of trampolines. Tarmo sourced these through a large retailer in the Netherlands and had to drive them back across Europe to Finland. The very first trampoline was bought by the most famous Finnish Magician to be a part of his show. Trampolines had finally arrived in Finland.
The grind begins
The following year, more trampolines are bought and sold by knocking on people’s doors in camping sites across Finland. The scope of the business is still small: Tarmo spends his nights are sleeping in a van. He’d wake to condensation dripping from the ceiling, and he knew it was time to get up and move on. By 1998 the first container full of trampolines arrived straight from the United States. The business is growing but not yet enough to be a full-time job.
2002
First location
Six years later, the business was growing and already supporting one full-time employee and multiple summer workers. The first brick-and-mortar Acon shop opened in the back of a warehouse in 2002. The shop could only fit a few people in at a time, so customers had to queue outside for a look at the products. It was here where spark to focus on the springs in order to create the best bounce available was born. Soon after the very first tests for our spring theory (which would become Synergy Design) take place.
2003
ACON Air
Once Acon’s first own trampoline model, ACON Air, was released in 2003, the brand was solidified and Acon stopped retailing other names. We received the approval of the Finnish Gymnastics Federation, it was time to scour the world to find just the right manufacturers and business relations for partnerships. Which we are proud to say have lasted still to this day.
2007
Stepping into the Online
Significant steps are taken as the first Acon online shop opens, and the first purchase is made on a Sunday at 18:32 somewhere in Pietarsaari, in western Finland. The first sale is celebrated at the Acon office in a very Finnish manner by drinking a cup of coffee.
2011
Hockey fever
After Finland wins the Ice Hockey World Championship in 2011, hockey fever is stronger than ever. Due to the lack of high-quality hockey and street hockey equipment, Acon decides to develop its own Acon Wave series of hockey goals and shooting pads for street games and individual training. Mikael Granlund, the NHL star and the hero of the recent World Championships, endorses the products, and the popularity of Wave products skyrockets.
2014
Global business begins
Acon’s quest to take over the world starts by opening the first international online shop in Sweden and is soon followed by the variations for Europe, the United States, Canada, and Russia. Acon’s equipment is moving people around the globe. The joy of thrill-seeking is taking over the world, one bounce at a time.
2016
Thrill Seekers Unite
Something incredible happens. A few YouTubers and Instagrammers find out that the best tricks are done with Acon’s trampolines, and soon a quad backflip is pulled off the first time ever (do not try this at home!). The videos get millions of viewers around the world, and the g-tramp community blossoms on social media. Shortly after, the Acon Team was established to support the ever-growing g-tramp community by endorsing young and talented athletes worldwide. Thrill Seekers around the world unite.
2020
New beginnings
The world is halted by a horrible global pandemic sweeping the globe, confining people into their homes to work and live remotely. Amidst all the challenges, comfort is found from spending time outdoors together with one’s family. A sudden surge of home entertainment needs shifts people's focuses to trampolines and to Acon. As tricks are getting bigger and g-trampers getting more skilled, ACON focuses on building a better, stronger, and safer trampoline, fit for all ages and suitable for even the most challenging tricks. A trampoline set to last a lifetime.
Our story is far from over, so follow along and join our ever-growing community of Thrill Seekers to be a part of the next chapter in this incredible journey!