Fazer Group: closes Oulu bakery in September

Helsinki / FI. (fg) The collaboration negotiations concerning Fazer’s bakery in Oulu have been concluded. Fazer Bakeries will close the production in Oulu. The bakery will be closed in September 2019.

Fazer has evaluated different options to improve the efficiency of its bakery network and decided to close the production at the Oulu bakery. The bakery operations in Oulu will gradually be transferred to other Fazer bakeries. Operations at Oulu bakery will be concluded in September 2019. All 83 employees’ contracts will end.

«We will support the personnel and we want to further the employees’ possibilities of re-employment, either within or outside the Fazer Group. We will liaise with the local employment administrations and service providers supporting employment», says Managing Director Markus Hellström, Fazer Bakery Finland.

The collaboration negotiations were started because of the changes in the market situation and consumers’ shopping behaviour. The consumption of pre-packed bread is decreasing in Finland. Respectively, the popularity of artisan products baked in-store has increased.

«The focus areas of employment at Fazer Bakeries will change. We have now 65 in-store bakeries in Finland. The number of Fazer in-store bakeries continues to grow, and they will employ more bakers in the future. At the same time, we must adjust our business as demand for pre-packed bread is decreasing. In addition, material and energy costs have continued to rise and it is not possible to fully transfer the cost effects into prices», Hellström says.