Jokioinen bakery to rebuild after fire with construction starting in May

Finnish bakery Jokioisten Leipä will begin rebuilding its production facility destroyed in a February fire, with construction set to start as early as May, the company announced on Monday.

According to CEO Mikko Virtanen, financing and insurance arrangements have been finalised, allowing demolition of the fire-damaged foundations to begin this week. “The goal is to start building the new bakery as soon as possible, already in May,” Virtanen told public broadcaster Yle.

The new facility will replicate the previous semi-automated bakery. Despite losing its main production site, the company has avoided layoffs by relocating operations to its other units in Jokioinen, Forssa, and Tammela. Jokioisten Leipä employs around 140 people.

Police continue to investigate the cause of the February fire, which marked the second major blaze at the site in recent years.