Valio is transferring the production of juices and berry soups as well as plant-based snack and cooking products from the Helsinki and Turku plants to Riihimäki. According to the current plan, the production plants will close in the first half of 2026 at the earliest. Valio’s aim with the transfer of production is to improve production efficiency and competitiveness. Riihimäki’s modern production infrastructure and expertise in the manufacturing of plant-based products create new opportunities for development of the product categories being transferred.
Valio’s Pitäjänmäki juice plant in Helsinki produces juices, berry soups and glogg. The Turku plant produces plant-based cooking and snack products. There are currently about 65 employees at the juice plant and about 25 employees in Turku. Based on the current estimate, about 35 new positions would be offered at Riihimäki.
“The personnel at both production plants have done a good job. Closing production plants is very unfortunate from the employees’ perspective, and we want to handle it in the best way possible from the people perspective. Naturally, we will do everything we can to ensure that as many people as possible are employed directly either within Valio or find employment opportunities outside Valio,” says Juha Penttilä, Valio’s Executive Vice President, Operations.
By transferring production, Valio aims to improve efficiency and competitiveness. 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. The plan is to make greater use of the modern production facilities at the Riihimäki site in the manufacturing of juices and berry soups as well as plant-based snacks and cooking products and in the development of these categories,” Juha Penttilä explains.
Product deliveries to customers will continue as normal.
Valio employs about 4,300 people, 3,700 of them work in Finland. Approximately 430 people currently work at the Riihimäki site. Valio is owned by about 3,400 Finnish dairy farms through cooperatives.
“Through competitive 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.
