Metso announced on October 27, 2009 the decision to invest in special valves production in Finland. Today, the foundation stone on the new Metso industrial valves factory will be laid in Vantaa.
 
              

The Finnish production of Metso’s industrial valves and personnel in automation and power generation in the Helsinki region, all together 800 people, will move to new factory and to adjoined office building at the beginning of 2011. Metso’s industrial valves factory has operated in Roihupelto, Helsinki nearly 50 years.

Pasi Laine, President, Energy and Environmental Technology, Metso says that in Finland Metso has strong know-how in product development and manufacturing in special valves intended for demanding applications, for example in oil and gas industries and in power generation. ’’The new facility will enable us to bring more efficiency to the production process for these technologically advanced industrial products and will improve the prerequisites for further developing quality and delivery capability.’’

’’In Metso’s power generation solutions, for example in biomass power plants, our automation know-how and valves are in key role. So it is natural that these professionals work under same roof in the future,’’ he continues.

The new facility is continuation in the line of investment decisions to develop Metso’s services globally. Just previous week Metso’s new technology center was inaugurated in Shanghai. ‘’These are positive messages to our personnel and to our customers: We are constantly improving our service level to our partners in oil, gas, process and pulp and paper industries,’’ Pasi Laine comments.
The builder of the new Vantaa factory is Sponda Plc, real estate investment company. Metso will lease about 23,000 m2 of production facilities under a long-term agreement with Sponda which is also leasing to Metso some 12,000 square metres of office and warehouse premises in the office building next to the new building. The relocation is estimated to result in one-time costs of about EUR 4 million.

Metso’s Energy and Environmental Technology segment employs about 2,300 in Finland. In total Metso has more than 8,000 employees in Finland.

Further information for the press, please contact:
Pasi Laine, President, Energy and Environmental Technology, Metso, tel. +358 40 562 4339. 4-5 PM (+2 GMT)
Markku Simula, President, Flow Control, Automation business line, Metso, tel. +358 40 579 8128, 4-5 PM (+2 GMT)