Valio Group: aims to improve efficiency and profitability

Helsinki / FI. (val) Finland’s Valio Group is planning to transfer the production of juices and berry soups as well as plant-based snacks and cooking products from its Helsinki and Turku plants to Riihimäki. If implemented, the plan would mean the closure of the Helsinki and Turku plants. With the planned transfer of production, Valio aims to improve production efficiency and profitability. Riihimäki’s modern production infrastructure and expertise in the manufacture of plant-based products would also create new opportunities for the development of the product range to be transferred.

Valio’s Pitäjänmäki juice factory in Helsinki produces juices, berry soups and mulled wine. The Turku plant produces plant-based cooking and snack products. Valio is now starting negotiations on the planned transfer of production at these plants. The negotiations concern 66 people at the juice factory and 26 people at the Turku factory, i.e. the entire workforce of the factories. Possible staff reductions will affect a maximum of 92 people. The negotiations are based on production, economic and operational restructuring reasons. The earliest date for the possible closure of the plants would be early 2026.

«With the planned transfer of production, we aim to improve production efficiency and profitability. In addition to modern production machinery, the Riihimäki plant has taken excellent account of issues such as environmental friendliness and energy and water efficiency. In recent years, Valio has strongly developed the expertise in plant-based products at the Riihimäki plant,» says Juha Penttilä, Valio’s Vice President for Production and Logistics.

Valio employs a total of around 4’300 people, of whom 3’700 work in Finland. Around 3’400 Finnish dairy farms are owned by Valio through cooperatives. «Through profitable business operations, we ensure the viability of our owners, the dairy farms, and safeguard the continuity of domestic food production. In the long term, it will also enable us to create jobs and livelihoods throughout Finland,» Penttilä continues. «The staff at both factories have done a good job. Negotiating changes that involve staff reductions is always unpleasant, and we want to handle it from the people’s point of view as well as possible.»

Valio bought the Turku factory’s production last autumn from the Norwegian company Kavl, and the employees were transferred to Valio in the deal. The Riihimäki site employs around 430 people. There are several factory buildings and production lines on the Riihimäki site. In Riihimäki, Valio produces both dairy products – milk, cream, buttermilk and yoghurts – and plant-based snack products.