Olli Sipinen, who moved from Partalansaari island to the village center, started trading in the building in 1897. He was one of the peasant businessmen of Sulkava who, in addition to trading, were active shipping operators. At first, Olli made the trips to St. Petersburg and Vyborg with sailing barges, but later also with tar steamers. From his travels, he brought colonial goods, tobacco products, leaf tobacco, salts, wood tar, iron works, steel, wrought iron, black iron sheet, paper, cardboard, factory works, roofing felt, soda ash, chalk, separator oil, fireproof bricks, cement, artificial fertilizers and fireproof clay to his shop.

As an active man, Olli achieved success, and in addition to his business activities, he held numerous positions of trust in municipal life. Weakened by a long illness, Olli left his business in the care of his descendants. After family Sipinen, Sulkava’s cooperative shop started business in this building in 1919, but moved to its current location in the center of the village after only a couple of years.