Äänekoski leaders meet with Arto Satonen in Helsinki amid job losses

The leadership of Äänekoski visited Helsinki today to meet with Minister of Labor Arto Satonen. Metsä Group has decided to close the Suolahti plywood plant in Äänekoski, and tractor manufacturer Valtra may reduce dozens of employees at its Suolahti facility, putting over 400 jobs at risk. The visitors presented the minister with proposals aimed at alleviating the impact of these job losses in Äänekoski.

Despite the grim news regarding employment, Mayor Matti Tuononen expressed an optimistic outlook for the future, believing that Äänekoski remains a highly attractive location for business. However, he acknowledged that such negotiations do little to comfort those whose jobs are now in jeopardy.

Tuononen noted that discussions with the minister went well and that the city’s requests were received positively, even though no concrete commitments were made. Among the city’s wishes were investment support for local businesses and dedicated funding for retraining programs related to the employment services transitioning to municipal responsibilities. Additionally, Tuononen highlighted a “road project,” although he refrained from providing further details, noting that its cost range was discussed with the minister.

Tuononen also conveyed a message from Metsä Group and Valtra to the minister: no strikes. He agreed with the companies’ view that the strikes from last spring had a considerable negative impact on business operations, particularly citing the costly dock strikes.

Following the recent announcements, Äänekoski has established a task force to address the changes, involving the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, Central Finland Regional Council, the Regional State Administrative Agency, as well as Metsä Group and Valtra. Minister Satonen is scheduled to visit Äänekoski later this month, including a stop at both plants.