Ever wonder why our Finnish fire engine tee says sisu? We didn’t make up that word. During our inspiration trip, our designers noticed the word sisu on many service trucks. It turns out that sisu is the name of a Finnish truck company started in 1931, and it has been producing fire engines and armored vehicles ever since. In Finnish culture, sisu means having resilience, perseverance, and determination- all qualities that I would want in a fire fighter. Some Fins might describe it as “having guts.” Parents have grown so fond of sisu that they have started naming their sons this. Like all cultural phenomenons, it will slowly spread to the rest of the world just like the word sauna has. I bet you didn’t know that was originally a Finnish word.
