Valio is planning to transfer the production of juices and berry soups as well as plant-based snack and cooking products from Helsinki and Turku plants to Riihimäki. If implemented, the plan would mean the closure of the Helsinki and Turku plants. Valio’s aim with the planned transfer of production is to improve production efficiency and profitability. Riihimäki’s modern production infrastructure and expertise in the manufacturing of plant-based products would create new opportunities also for the development of transitional products.
Valio’s Pitäjänmäki juice plant in Helsinki produces juices, berry soups and glogg. The Turku plant produces plant-based cooking and snack products. Valio will now initiate change negotiations on the planned transfer of production at these plants. At the juice plant, 66 people are within the scope of the negotiations, and in Turku, 26 people, that is, the entire personnel of the plants. Possible headcount reductions will target a maximum of 92 employees. The grounds for the negotiations are production and economic reasons and the resulting operational restructuring. According to the current plan, the possible closure of the production plants would happen in the first half of 2026 at the earliest.
“Through the planned transfer of production, we aim to improve production efficiency and profitability. In addition to modern production machinery, the Riihimäki plant has paid careful attention to issues such as environmental friendliness and energy and water efficiency. Valio has strongly developed the Riihimäki plant’s expertise in plant-based products in recent years,” says Juha Penttilä, Valio’s Executive Vice President, Operations.
Valio employs about 4,300 people, 3,700 of them work in Finland. Valio is owned by about 3,400 Finnish dairy farms through cooperatives.
“Through profitable business operations, we ensure the vitality of our owners, i.e. the dairy farms, and we secure the continuity of Finnish food production. That enables us in the long run to also create jobs and livelihoods around Finland,” Penttilä continues.
“The personnel at both production plants have done a good job. Change negotiations involving headcount reductions are always unfortunate, and we want to handle it in the best way possible from the people perspective.”
Valio acquired the Turku plant’s production operations last autumn from the Norwegian Kavli, and the employees transferred to Valio’s payroll in the transaction.
Approximately 430 people work at the Riihimäki site. There are several factory buildings and production lines in the Riihimäki factory area. In Riihimäki, Valio produces both milk-based products – milk, cream, buttermilk and yoghurts – and plant-based Oddlygood® snack products.
