Valio plans transfer of operations from Vantaa to Joensuu, affecting 350 employees

Valio is planning to transfer its operations from the Vantaa plant to Joensuu, while the warehouse activities in Pitäjänmäki, Helsinki, will be moved to either Riihimäki or Tuusula. This plan entails the closure of both the Vantaa facility and the Pitäjänmäki warehouse. The aim of these relocations is to enhance production efficiency and profitability. Consequently, Valio will initiate change negotiations involving nearly 350 employees from both Vantaa and Pitäjänmäki.

Potential layoffs could affect up to the same number of employees, but Valio is committed to offering job opportunities to as many individuals as possible from other locations. According to Valio’s statement, location plays a significant role in this decision. The Joensuu factory is situated in a milk production area and currently produces cheeses that are sent to Vantaa for packaging, processing milk from 800 dairy farms and accounting for one-third of all Valio’s cheese production. The Vantaa plant specializes in producing processed cheeses, cheese shreds, cheese slices, and meat substitute products.

The city plan for Helsinki designates the Pitäjänmäki area as a residential neighborhood, thus eliminating the possibility of future industrial activities. The warehouse in Pitäjänmäki handles, among other things, Valio’s cheeses and fats. The relocation will create additional jobs and new types of positions and shifts in Joensuu, prompting change negotiations for 128 employees there.

The closure of the Vantaa factory is expected to take place gradually starting next year, while the warehouse closure in Pitäjänmäki is anticipated to occur no earlier than the end of 2027. Valio employs approximately 4,300 people, with 3,700 working in Finland, while about 3,300 Finnish dairy farms are members of Valio’s cooperatives.