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Read our policy By 2021-09-20T11:38:00+01:00 hiking up production of battery packs is increasingly essential to OEMs Carmakers are now seeking ways of building the packs and modules on the same site in order to simplify their supply chains The plant currently employs around 200 people but this number is expected to rise to 500 by 2024 Valmet Automotive has officially opened its Uusikaupunki marking the start of production of high-voltage automotive battery modules and battery packs part of a significant expansion of its electric vehicle battery-related manufacturing.   The tier one supplier plans to extend the plant further running with four battery production lines in 2024. The battery plant will eventually have the capacity to manufacture 500,000 packs per year.  Valmet Automotive has been expanding the production of batteries in recent years as part of a strategy to become a full systems supplier for battery modules and electric vehicles. It now has three battery production contracts although the company has not revealed details about its customers.   In 2019, the company began production series production of battery systems in Salo, Finland. The company also has battery test centres in Finland and in Germany It is planning a third battery-related production plant in Kirchardt “With the battery plants now in Salo and Uusikaupunki and later also in Kirchardt we are extending our battery production network and the product range The strong need for further production capacities for battery systems is proven by the three battery production contracts we already have for our new Uusikaupunki plant” said Jyrki Nurmi, senior vice-president EV Systems.  In 2017, Chinese battery manufacturer CATL took a 22% investment in Valmet Automotive as part of a strategic partnership. CATL is currently building a gigafactory for lithium-ion batteries in Erfurt, Germany (see more on battery plant locations in the Automotive Logistics gigafactory database).  Valmet Automotive, a prominent contract vehicle manufacturer, has co-located the battery production with its vehicle assembly plant, combining both manufacturing services and logistical optimisation for automotive service providers. Extending the plant with a battery production facility is considered an essential part of Valemt’s long-term strategic aim to develop the plant.  “[The battery plant] is a milestone in realising our ambitious EV strategy The possibility of producing electric vehicles and battery systems under one roof is a unique offering for the automotive industry,” said Olaf Bongwald chief executive officer at Valmet Automotive.  Valmet currently produces the Mercedes-Benz GLC SUV and Mercedes-Benz A Class. It has previously manufactured vehicles for Porsche the company revealed that it in 2022 it would start manufacturing the Lightyear One a solar-powered EV from startup Lightyear   the Uusikaupunki battery plant employs around 200 people in the initial stage of production The factory headcount is expected to substantially rise with around 500 people planned to be working at the Uusikaupunki battery plant by 2024.  Battery pack and module production is part of the complex and fast-growing lithium-ion battery value chain. Many OEMs are adapting vehicle assembly plants to build the packs and modules on the same site not least to save manufacturing and logistics costs.   Flexis is localising European EV van production and shared platforms to cut costs and emissions The Chinese-owned Swedish electric vehicle maker will make the Polestar 7 in Europe to improve commercial performance EV supply chains are in flux after Trump’s IRA pause How will this affect North American logistics and global automotive strategies Site powered by Webvision Cloud Valmet Automotive has announced to expand its car plant in Uusikaupunki Uusikaupunki will become Valmet Automotive’s second plant with mass production of battery systems for electric vehicles The Finnish supplier says the battery factory in Uusikaupunki is scheduled to start production later in the second half of 2021 Uusikaupunki is also home to a Valmet vehicle plant where the company builds vehicles for other companies as a contract manufacturer including the A-Class and the GLC for Mercedes-Benz The Uusikaupunki plant will continue to focus on vehicle production The expansion is “an important step in the implementation of Valmet Automotive’s strategy to establish itself as a Tier 1 system supplier for battery systems and modules” The plant will be built in addition to the existing battery assembly in Salo In parallel with the plans in Uusikaupunki the battery assembly line in Salo that will become operational in October 2019 Valmet Automotive says that the expansion is due to a new major customer “leading” car manufacturer has appointed Valmet as a Tier 1 system supplier for a battery program This will include the assembly of the battery systems as well as the production of the modules “With the decision to establish a high-volume battery system production in Uusikaupunki we are opening a strong additional growth perspective to our largest and most important plant” “Combining car manufacturing and battery system production in one plant additional to our Salo plant nearby we do not just offer a unique package to our customers but also make an important contribution to protecting the environment.” Valmet says it has been producing battery systems in Uusikaupunki “for years”, but so far only in small series focusing on industrial applications. The company also maintains a Battery Test Center (BTC) there. A few weeks ago, the Finnish company opened its second BTC in Germany Another of these test facilities is located in Bad Friedrichshall Update 28 January 2021: Valmet Automotive has received an order from another major automaker to manufacture battery systems in Uusikaupunki the Finnish supplier does not provide details This is already the second “secret” order for the plant Valmet announced in December that it would be adding a battery plant to its car plant in Uusikaupunki Production is still scheduled to start in the second half of 2021 The search for employees for battery production is to begin in the spring employment at the Uusikaupunki site is secure for years to come pressebox.de, valmet-automotive.com (update January) I agree with the Privacy policy electrive has been following the development of electric mobility with journalistic passion and expertise since 2013 we offer comprehensive coverage of the highest quality — as a central platform for the rapid development of this technology You are about to leave yara.com and enter: "The expansion will enable us to meet the growing global demand for NPK-fertilizers while improving the plant's competitiveness in a tightening global market," says Plant Manager Tommi Hevonoja The production volume of the plant will rise by about 250,000 tonnes bringing the plant's total production capacity to about 1.3 million tonnes the expansion project has provided work for a large number of local contractors The total employment impact of the project during the construction period was 150 man-years (or around 255,000 hours of work) Yara is a major employer in Uusikaupunki: According to an estimate made by KPMG the total employment impact of the plant was about 900 man-years in 2015 The heart of the new production line is a spherodizer-drum in which the fertilizer slurry is granulated into homogeneous NPK granules The granules are dried by using the recovery heat from nitric acid production instead of oil-fired heating which reduces the plant's carbon footprint Test runs have also shown that the unit has the capability to further improve Yara’s product quality which is extremely important in a tightening market situation the plant’s efficient production will strengthen its competitive position in international markets "We will simply be able to produce more and better products with less," he states The investment and its impact on employment and Finnish exports was widely reported both in print media Yara International ASADrammensveien 131 0277 Oslo - NorwayTel:+47 24 15 70 00Visit our Contact us page 1fr);grid-auto-rows:auto;max-width:none;-webkit-column-gap:0;column-gap:0;padding:0 0 0 0;}.css-1dt7hju>*{position:relative;}@media screen and (min-width: 600px){.css-1dt7hju{grid-template-columns:repeat(4 1fr);max-width:none;-webkit-column-gap:0;column-gap:0;padding:0 0 0 0;}}@media screen and (min-width: 900px){.css-1dt7hju{grid-template-columns:repeat(12 1fr);max-width:none;-webkit-column-gap:0;column-gap:0;padding:0 0 0 0;}}@media screen and (min-width: 1024px){.css-1dt7hju{grid-template-columns:repeat(12 1fr);max-width:none;-webkit-column-gap:0;column-gap:0;padding:0 0 0 0;}}@media screen and (min-width: 1440px){.css-1dt7hju{grid-template-columns:repeat(12 The centre of Uusikaupunki is alive with more than 600 pastel-coloured wooden houses spanning more than 40 blocks the large wooden house district in Uusikaupunki is one of the best-preserved Empire-style wooden towns in Finland – and these 19th century houses are still used as homes You can even stay in the area at one of the wooden houses Olga or Ruustinna – even the names radiate the houses’ cosy atmosphere the guided Wooden houses and gardens walking tours will take visitors to admire some of the beautiful gardens and enjoy a cup of coffee courtyards and gates are opened for visitors to admire The traditional biennial Old Houses of Uusikaupunki event allows you to explore what fascinates you the most at your own pace The event provides visitors with inspiration and information on renovation Some locations also offer courtyard cafés and flea markets 1fr);grid-auto-rows:auto;max-width:1440px;-webkit-column-gap:2.0rem;column-gap:2.0rem;padding:0 2.0rem 0 2.0rem;}.css-tg00bh>*{position:relative;}@media screen and (min-width: 600px){.css-tg00bh{grid-template-columns:repeat(4 1fr);max-width:1440px;-webkit-column-gap:2.0rem;column-gap:2.0rem;padding:0 3.2rem 0 3.2rem;}}@media screen and (min-width: 900px){.css-tg00bh{grid-template-columns:repeat(12 1fr);max-width:1440px;-webkit-column-gap:2.4rem;column-gap:2.4rem;padding:0 6.4rem 0 6.4rem;}}@media screen and (min-width: 1024px){.css-tg00bh{grid-template-columns:repeat(12 1fr);max-width:1440px;-webkit-column-gap:3.2rem;column-gap:3.2rem;padding:0 8.0rem 0 8.0rem;}}@media screen and (min-width: 1440px){.css-tg00bh{grid-template-columns:repeat(12 Come along on our journey and stay up to date Sisu! Or why Valmet Automotive is the perfect partner for building the SionBy Julius21st July 2022It is a match! In April this year, we announced Valmet Automotive as our partner for the series production of the Sion. Since then, our teams have continued to work together closely. While the series-validation vehicle program advances our development team is progressing towards production with our contract manufacturer All work streams have been kicked-off and engineers from both teams are already working on improving the current vehicle generation and preparing for manufacturing – a huge milestone towards delivering the Sion to our Community today we would like to introduce Valmet Automotive to you in more detail Not every one of our Community is a passionate expert on topics that concern the automotive industry they are building the Sion with this company from Finland what’s the big whoop?” So here are some insights about our excellent partner from the city with the lovely name Uusikaupunki Valmet Automotive is one of the world's largest contract vehicle manufacturers it was created as a joint-venture between the Swedish car manufacturer Saab and the Finish state One of the reasons was the excellent location with the city of Uusikaupunki being very close to the Baltic Sea which is highly favorable in terms of logistics the production facility is the biggest single production facility in Finland Valmet Automotive also operates facilities in Poland and Germany the company has produced the staggering figure of over 1.7 million vehicles the company has been manufacturing electric vehicles since as early as 2009 Five different electric vehicle models have been produced by Valmet Automotive making our partner one of the world's leading manufacturers of electric vehicles But there's more to it than impressive numbers and decades of experience On top of being a global leader in EV manufacturing Valmet Automotive is a pioneer in industry sustainability sustainability is more than just a hip buzzword in Uusikaupunki It is a guiding principle and an integral part of the company Valmet Automotive uses only renewable energies for production Should greenhouse gas emissions along the supply chain or during production be unavoidable these are fully offset through appropriate measures This is something we were truly impressed with we plan to do the same with the production of the Sion Valmet Automotive has set itself ethical guidelines that ensure optimal cooperation trust and integrity – principles that we at Sono also uphold and live by 100 percent Last but not least, we experienced a very special mentality when working with the employees of Valmet Automotive. In our latest video our dear colleague Thomas Hausch described it this way: “The people there are determined and equipped with building vehicles with very high precision.”  Doing some research, we got introduced to the concept of “sisu” – a unique Finnish word, which really cannot be translated into any other language, as Finnish author and editor at “thisisFINLAND” Peter Marten writes: “The Finnish word ‘sisu’ is untranslatable but that doesn’t stop people from trying: determination courage and willpower are some of the terms people use in English.” we decided to let our partners from Uusikaupunki explain in their own words what this concept means: “Sisu is a very Finnish way of thinking "What's behind it is ‘make the impossible possible We are convinced that this mindset is perfect for facing the challenges of our modern world It has enabled us to progress on our mission steadily knowing that we will continue to live by these values to realize our vision of a world without fossil fuels we found a partner in Valmet Automotive who is not only technically and professionally well-equipped to accompany us on our journey but also has a very similar attitude when facing challenges So let’s conclude today’s blog by acknowledging the fact that sometimes as Valmet Automotive CEO Olaf Bongwald pointed out If you want to find out more about Valmet Automotive and our partnership, check out our latest video and our website. Of course, we’ll keep you updated!  We’ll keep you up-to-date with our newsletter and RSS feeds, and make sure that you always have the latest information when it comes to the Sion and Sono Motors. Contract vehicle assembler Valmet Automotive said paint process and the assembly shop changes needed to build the Mercedes Benz GLC SUV at its Uusikaupunki plant had been completed “The most significant change is the renewal of the top coat line in the paint shop [We] will commence manufacturing the GLC early in 2017 It added: “The paint shop and assembly shop in Uusikaupunki have multi-product lines with processes designed suitable for various vehicle models each new vehicle project demands changes and updates to the lines technical characteristics and customer demands.” Valmet added the paint process changes were focused on the top and clear coat lines The top coat line was completely renewed while manual and automated painting stations were replaced with robots and the line’s structures and conveyor renewed Two robots were added to clear coating and station structures updated “These changes ensure improved productivity and high manufacturing quality,” Valmet said changes were made to about 30 stations based mostly on differences in size and “technical solutions” for the GLC and A-Class vehicles Valmet builds for Daimler The most significant adjustments were made to conveyors and roller tests while the assembly shop gained a new station to assemble the GLC’s roof Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis The production area was extended by about a hectare; the roofed area is now about 13 hectares work on the GLC body shop is proceeding according to schedule and recruiting for assembly workers will start soon “We are advancing completely according to the plans for the GLC production The adjustments in the paint process and the assembly shop were completed during the plant’s five week summer break,” said Valmet’s manufacturing business unit head Pasi Rannus ABB to deliver over 250 robots for GLC production in Finland Mercedes contracts extra GLCs to Valmet Finland Nominations are now open for the prestigious Just Auto Excellence Awards - one of the industry's most recognised programmes celebrating innovation This is your chance to showcase your achievements Don't miss the opportunity to be honoured among the best - submit your nomination today Give your business an edge with our leading industry insights View all newsletters from across the GlobalData Media network By clicking here, you agree to our Terms and Conditions and consent to us collection your details for the purposes of your enquiry You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser or activate Google Chrome Frame to improve your experience Former Troy men’s basketball player Nick Stampley this week signed a professional basketball contract with Finland’s Uusikaupunki Korihait Uusikaupunki is a team in Finland’s top basketball league Stampley is one of just five American players signed by Uusikaupunki native that started his college career at Nova Southeastern University before transferring Contributed photo/Troy Athletics | The Messenger Stampley was a Trojan for three seasons and started 60 career games he averaged four points and three rebounds and in 2020-2021 he led Troy averaging 13 points and seven rebounds Stampley made 21 starts and averaged six points and five rebounds per game “I can’t even begin to tell you how happy I am that Nick has signed with Korihait in Finland,” Troy coach Scott Cross said “Nobody is more deserving than Nick Stampley He has been one of the hardest workers that I have ever coached and everyone that has watched him play knows that he is one of the toughest ever to put on a Troy uniform.” Stampley averaged seven points and five rebounds per game Stampley is now the 21st player to play professional basketball under Cross and the first Trojan to sign a professional contract since Wesley Person Jr signed with the Newcastle Eagles of the British Basketball League last season “Nick laid it all on the line every single game for his entire career here at Troy and is a huge reason we were able to turn the corner this past year,” Cross said “I look forward to watching him continue to grow and develop and I am confident that he will help Korihait win a championship in the near future.” There are four games featuring a SWAC team on the Monday college basketball schedule 5-3 SWAC) will attempt to build on a three-game home winning streak when… The Nashville Predators’ Roman Josi and the Ottawa Senators’ Brady Tkachuk will be two of the most exciting… will be in action Monday versus the Ottawa Senators at Bridgestone Arena,… TechTarget and Informa Tech’s Digital Business Combine.TechTarget and Informa we power an unparalleled network of 220+ online properties covering 10,000+ granular topics serving an audience of 50+ million professionals with original We help you gain critical insights and make more informed decisions across your business priorities More than 100,000 A-Class cars will be built by the Finnish manufacturer between 2013 and 2016 VIENNA – Finnish contract manufacturer Valmet Automotive will produce the new Mercedes-Benz A-Class at its plant in Uusikaupunki starting in 2013 More than 100,000 A-Class vehicles are slated to be built by Valmet between 2013 and 2016 Valmet’s Uusikaupunki operation will be the third European plant to produce cars based on Mercedes’ MFA front-wheel-drive architecture “Our new compacts are so popular with our customers that the Rastatt and Kecskemét plants are completely utilized,” Wolfgang Bernhard Daimler’s management board member responsible for manufacturing and procurement-Mercedes-Benz Cars & Vans noting Rastatt will move to a 3-shift operation this fall “We thus signed Valmet as an experienced production specialist who will provide us with additional A-Class capacities as of 2013.” Valmet President Ilpo Korhonen says his company’s ability to launch production quickly played a key role in landing the deal with Daimler the A-Class program will allow Valmet to call back workers on temporary layoff next year (on average some 300-400 employees in 2012) and potentially hire hundreds of new workers in 2014 and beyond The contract with Daimler is extremely important to Valmet which has been looking to fill capacity left idle by the expiration of a build contract with Porsche last year Valmet manufactured 227,890 Porsche Boxster and Cayman sports cars between September 1997 and May 2011 After the production of the last Finnish-made Porsche in May 2011 the company continued shipments of Cayman pretreated bodies and Boxster body panels to Porsche until the end of the year Valmet currently manufactures the Fisker Karma sports sedan It plans to add assembly of Russia’s Marussia B2 sports car in late 2012 or in 2013 The company also produces Garia luxury electric golf carts Daimler launched volume production of the next-generation A-Class at its plant in Rastatt earlier this month The auto maker says it has received more than 40,000 A-Class orders to date Additional spin-offs of the new-generation compact cars are planned including a compact cross/utility to be manufactured in Rastatt and CLA 4-door coupe to be made in Kecskemét Daimler invested €1.4 billion ($1.7 billion) in production of the new generation of MFA cars including €800 million ($970 million) for construction of the Kecskemét facility and €600 million ($725 million) for expansion of the Rastatt plant A further €600 million will follow this year and in 2013 for a second wave of the Rastatt expansion These new investments are slated for modifications of the assembly line and corresponding equipment installations in the body shop Another €400 million ($483 million) will be invested in the powertrain plants this and next year for production of components used solely in the new compact models There is no information about the investment needed to retool Valmet’s plant for the A-Class Shifting Gears: What Car Buyers Really Want in 2025 Less is More: How Website Overload Sinks Your Sales This website is owned and operated by Informa TechTarget influences and connects the world’s technology buyers and sellers Informa PLC’s registered office is 5 Howick Place “Following a strong launch in Europe a right-hand drive version of the GLC will also be available for the first time from December We expect this to be another strong contributor to growth,” said Ola Källenius Member of the Board of Management of Daimler AG responsible for Mercedes-Benz Cars Marketing & Sales After the start of production of the new GLC in China as well the Finnish factory is the third site that will build Mercedes’ mid-sized SUV A recent report also said that Mercedes is readying a production hydrogen-powered version of the GLC scheduled for reveal at the 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show HELSINKI FINLAND JUser: :_load: Unable to load user with ID: 58 Representatives of Finland’s Valmet Automotive and the Netherland’s Lightyear posed for a photograph next to a prototype of Lightyear One VALMET AUTOMOTIVE has signed a letter of intent for manufacturing Lightyear One an electric vehicle powered partly by integrated solar cells designed by the Netherland’s Lightyear The Finnish automotive maker is set to commence manufacturing the electric vehicles in the first half of next year at its assembly plant in Uusikaupunki The contract manufacturing agreement outlined in the letter of intent is to be finalised by the end of August “We made decisions on a new sustainable development and traffic strategy as early as a couple of years ago. As a product, this fits the picture perfectly,” Pasi Rannus, the director of manufacturing at Valmet Automotive, stated to YLE on 19 July Lightyear has reported that its prototype has a range of 710 kilometres The 200-employee start-up has received support from Rannus added that partnering with the startup presents an intriguing opportunity for Valmet Automotive We’ll have a chance to learn something new And Lightyear will get to take advantage of our expertise in vehicle manufacturing,” he noted adding that the manufacturing process will not differ from that of an ordinary electric vehicle Valmet Automotive produced its first electric vehicles in 2009 In June, it announced it has recruited 650 employees to boost its car and battery manufacturing operations through online campaigns and intends to increase its headcount by another 350 during the summer The open positions are both at its automotive facility in Uusikaupunki and battery plant in Salo Advertisement inquiries and other after-sales issues: info@helsinkitimes.fi Helsinki Times is the first and only English language newspaper providing news about Finland in English A weekly print edition of Helsinki Times was published from March 2007 up until Feb Helsinki Times is an online-only publication and other groups and individuals interested in Finland from all around the world © Helsinki Times All rights reserved.  Terms of Use | Privacy Policy You can watch the video after accepting targeting cookies To use the chat, you need to accept functional cookies Helen is acquiring a -turn-key 206 MWp solar power plant located in Kalanti The solar power plant was sold and will be subsequently constructed by the international solar developer ib vogt The solar farm has an annual energy production of more than 200 GWh and is at a location where solar radiation levels are similar to northern Germany The solar power plant will be fully owned by Helen – Solar power production in Finland is expected to grow exponentially in the future is our first acquisition of a turn-key solar project and one of the largest in Finland The industrial-scale solar power plant is an addition to our production of domestic while also increasing our energy self-sufficiency Increasing the amount of electricity produced by solar power also supports our goal to be carbon neutral by 2030 and the transition towards a decentralised energy system where energy is produced from different sources says Helen’s M&A Director Jenny Söderman The construction work of the solar power plant is scheduled to start in the second quarter of 2023 and commercial operation is expected to start in late 2024 – Finland and all Nordic countries are a growing market for renewable energy and we are excited to execute our first project there and working on many more to come We are delighted to work with Helen to advance their environmental objectives and support the efforts in diversifying power production for their customers Many thanks to the people at Helen and all involved parties who put a tremendous amount of effort into bringing this acquisition over the finish line with a very ambitious timeline to advance the transition toward clean energy production Helen aims to increase the amount of renewable solar power by several hundred megawatts over the next few years We will be active in the entire value chain of the solar farms from licensing to land tenancy and we also sell the produced solar power in the same way as solar farms We are actively seeking suitable areas for solar farms We are also interested in acquiring solar farms on a turnkey basis Helen already has a solar farm under construction in the Nurmijärvi area along the national road 3 The solar farm will have a ground-mounted solar power plant of approximately 2,800 solar panels We are also planning a 10-megawatt power plant in Lohja and its construction is due to start in spring 2023 Please enable JS and disable any ad blocker Valmet Automotive-manufactured cars were loaded onto a car carrier trailer at the Port of Uusikaupunki in Southern Finland in November 2021 The Finnish automotive contract manufacturer said earlier this week it will reduce its headcount by up to 940 due to a decline in production volume VALMET AUTOMOTIVE, an automotive contract manufacturer based in Uusikaupunki, Finland, on Monday announced it will sack about 500 employees at its assembly plant The Finnish company said it will need to reduce at most 940 employees in response to a drop in production volumes adding that about half of the reductions would be carried out by lay-offs and half by temporary lay-offs of an indefinite duration “We’re ultimately talking about a permanent decline in production volume. The changes in the global automotive industry and recent geopolitical events have had an effect also on us. Production will continue, but it’ll be scaled to match market demand,” Pasi Rannus, the director of manufacturing at Valmet Automotive, stated to YLE on Monday Changes will also be made to job descriptions The negotiations with staff representatives were launched in January The redundancies will implemented out between late April and early May leaving roughly 1,400 employees at the plant in Uusikaupunki The plant is expected to require an additional 150 employees in the autumn as it start producing the AMG GT roadster for Mercedes-Benz declined to speculate on when and to what extent the laid off employees could be brought back as well as on the duration of the temporary lay-offs “The employer has a certain take-back obligation “We can’t provide any timelines at this point.” Rannus stated that he is confident that the electrification of road transport will provide a boost also to the company in the coming years “The demand for our services will only grow in the future,” he stated the director of business and economic development at the City of Uusikaupunki similarly expressed his confidence in the future of the assembly plant after the sad news “We’ll try to make sure those laid off will find new jobs There’s still demand for labour in the region,” he said to the public broadcasting service “The assembly plant’s labour situation has always fluctuated,” he reminded Valmet Automotive is set to hire roughly a thousand new employees at its assembly plant in Uusikaupunki Valmet Automotive is recruiting immigrants at a high level for a variety of jobs at its assembly plant in Uusikaupunki The automotive manufacturer is planning on hiring roughly one thousand new employees for its assembly line, knit line, paint shop and internal logistics operations during the course of the spring, after announcing a new manufacturing agreement with Daimler in March Immigrants will make up a considerable share of the new employees the communications director at the automotive manufacturer - Valmet Automotive announces manufacturing deal with Mercedes-Benz, to hire 1,000 car builders (23 March Valmet Automotive is one of the participants in a social impact bond (SIB) programme launched to facilitate the entry of immigrants to the labour market SIBs are bonds where the repayment and return on investment are contingent upon the achievement of one or more pre-determined social outcomes The bonds were first adopted in the United Kingdom in 2010 to raise funding for the rehabilitation of prisoners Mäki reveals that the assembly plant hired its first immigrant employees years ago and has currently dozens of employees of immigrant backgrounds we’ll be interviewing dozens of immigrant [applicants] today,” he added on Friday Prime Minister Juha Sipilä (Centre) voiced his delight with the recruitment approach adopted by the automotive maker in the Finnish Parliament on Friday I paid a visit to the assembly plant in Uusikaupunki and I was delighted to learn that they’re interviewing a number of immigrants and have already recruited them it’s something that has been put to practical use there,” he said Mäki underscored that immigrants are recruited for the same positions as native-born applicants and that neither group of applicants is preferred over the other as the recruitment decisions are made solely based on whether or not the applicants satisfiy the general requirements Mäki revealed that the automotive manufacturer has organised recruitment events targeted specifically at immigrants and has largely positive experiences of immigrant employees “Our experiences of people of immigrant backgrounds are and have been very positive That’s why we see no reason why we shouldn’t hire more of them,” he said Aleksi Teivainen – HTPhoto: Vesa Moilanen – LehtikuvaSource: Uusi Suomi © Helsinki Times All rights reserved.  Terms of Use | Privacy Policy Robots welding the body of a car at Valmet Automotive’s assembly plant in Uusikaupunki The Finnish contract automotive manufacturer recently announced a new manufacturing deal with Mercedes-Benz VALMET AUTOMOTIVE announced last week it will start manufacturing sports cars for Mercedes-Benz in Uusikaupunki The Finnish contract automotive manufacturer will start manufacturing both the hybrid and combustion-engine versions of Mercedes-Benz AMG GT in 2023 will see all four-door versions of the sports car manufactured at the assembly plant in Uusikaupunki The manufacturing will necessitate revisions to paint shop processes and the establishment of a dedicated assembly line for AMG GT – already the fourth model the company has manufactured for Mercedes-Benz the director of manufacturing at Valmet Automotive estimated that the contract is an “exceptionally convincing demonstration” of the company’s capabilities “With the AMG, we are making vehicles that require special skills and top-of-the-line quality,” he elaborated in a press release from Valmet Automotive “And it’s great to be back manufacturing sports cars.” The freshly inked contract is expected to guarantee employment to around 200 people in different functions of the assembly plant The manufacturing will not necessitate any new hirings as the company plans to address any personnel needs with re-assignments The Finnish company announced earlier this summer it will lay off roughly 300 and furlough roughly 700 employees at the assembly plant citing a decline in manufacturing volume linked to the expiry of another contract with Mercedes-Benz would be called back to work gradually during the course of next year as various other projects moved on to the manufacturing phase The company has increased its headcount significantly in recent years Its assembly plant continues to employ around 2,000 people even after the recent round of cuts All photos: courtesy of AirbnbSave this storySaveSave this storySaveAll products featured on Architectural Digest are independently selected by our editors we may receive compensation from retailers and/or from purchases of products through these links Among the many great things you can experience at a beach—warm weather and cool water, to name a few—heaps of people isn’t one of them. Nothing ruins a day on the coast quite like a packed shoreline where there is barely room to spread out your towel. Instead of elbowing through the masses, why not book a stay on your own private island and soak up all the beach life has to offer in solitude, or with your friends and family? You could wake up surrounded by forests and a 360-degree shoreline view in your own secluded oasis, and it doesn’t even have to break the bank.  With these cheap private islands on Airbnb, the dream easily becomes your reality. Although some stays are as little as $50 a night, none cost more than $350. Pack your swimsuit, hiking shoes, and loungewear, and get ready to explore Nordic islands, the South Pacific, and more.  All prices reflect rates advertised at time of publishing.  If staying on a private Nordic island is on your bucket list, this privaatti saari—as they say in Finnish—is just the place to do it. Spanning two acres, this rental in the Baltic Sea is perfect for those looking for nature and seclusion. White beaches and deep blue water are only that much more enticing when you’re the only person enjoying them. At this stay in the South Pacific, you’ll be able to relax, snorkel, and explore the 25 acres of lush tropical landscape in solitude, but you’re only a five minute boat ride to the main island. There’s a home in Croatia that sits on a private island a little over 20 minutes away by boat from a more populated island with shopping and dining. Though Robinson-like in its solitude, the property includes many modern amenities like Wi-Fi and running water. You can enjoy complete access to rocky beaches along the Adriatic Sea. A private villa on a private island with tennis courts and a swimming pool doesn’t seem like something you could get for less than $200 a night, but at La Isla Zacatalosa, it’s the reality. The rental is in Lake Nicaragua, and it is only about a 10-minute boat ride from the mainland. Take advantage of direct access to the Atlantic Ocean on this private island in Norway. The cabin has all the basic necessities for two people and is just outside of the village of Vikan. A rowing boat for exploration is included in your stay, but there is no running water on the island, so be prepared to adjust accordingly. The owners of this house on a private island live in a separate residence across the road, but you’ll have unrestricted access to the oceanfront this four-bed home sits on. You’ll want to spend plenty of time relaxing on the porch and taking in the rocky coastline along St. Margaret’s Bay. Also in Canada, the private island in Quebec spans 55,000 square feet. Expect a freshwater experience, as you’ll be in the middle of a lake, not an ocean. The retreat is about 200 feet from the main shore in Lac du Bois Franc, and is covered in forest. This cottage on a small island off Finland sleeps five people and gives unobstructed views of the Sumpunsalmi lake. Take advantage of common glamping amenities like a gas stove and fireplace, and also enjoy a classic Finnish pastime: sauna. For a fisher’s paradise, look no further than Westshore Island in Lake of the Woods, Ontario. The island is highly remote and requires a boat (which you’ll need to own or rent) to access it. Come prepared for a rustic and wilderness-heavy stay. The Finnish Army will conduct training in local defence tasks and missions in Kymenlaakso Uusimaa and Southwest Finland from 25 February to 8 March 2019 reservists and service personnel as well as some 500 vehicles will undertake training in total Focusing on challenging surveillance and protection tasks and missions the local defence exercises will also involve practicing interauthority executive assistance Organising local defence exercises enables improving troops’ performance capability and competence proficiency while operating in a local environment the exercises’ main effort involves enhancing C3 readiness and equipment of the local defence units – The key themes for the exercises will include training the tasks and missions of the local units as well as carrying out interauthority cooperation in versatile situations the typical tasks and missions of the local units entail protecting targets and functions The Finnish Army’s training activities trace back to the tasks relating to emergency conditions and development of troops’ performance capability and competence proficiency In safeguarding the vital functions of society the local battalions comprising reservists and service personnel sustain a seminal role The local defence exercises offer an excellent platform for training the implementation of these tasks in cooperation with other authorities – The tasks and missions of the local units are versatile and demanding which is also why these units need to engage in active training in their own area of responsibility the exercises per se are always planned in cooperation with the participating authorities and other actors involved with the intention to form overall exercise entities that serve all the participating actors This ensures that different authorities get to command and control the activities of their set responsibility while being supported by the others involved the local defence exercises will also be participated by conscripts such as readiness units and military police who are to muster out in March – These exercises validate the conscripts’ performance capability The Finnish Army’s readiness units’ versatile equipment and training undertaken enable providing support to other authorities The local defence exercises will also be partaken by conscript companies formed by brigade-level units that are utilised A worker in the assembly plant of Valmet Automotive in Uusikaupunki The Finnish contract automotive maker said this week it will adjust to a decline in production volumes by reducing up to 630 assembly-line jobs VALMET AUTOMOTIVE on Tuesday announced it intends to launch consultative negotiations to adapt in terms of both finances and production to a decline in production volumes The Finnish contract automotive manufacturer stated in a press release that the adjustments would affect no more than 630 employees at its assembly plant in Uusikaupunki The adjustments are to be carried out as both temporary and permanent lay-offs as well as changes in job descriptions No adjustments are required in the battery business Pasi Rannus, the director of production at Valmet Automotive, stated to YLE on Tuesday that the assembly plant has no choice but to respond to the global situation “We’ve talked about this with a client for quite some time The global situation has affected demand for the goods we produce for a long time We’re naturally part of a global network and automotive industry,” he said Rannus refrained from speculating on the outcome of the negotiations underscoring that it is important not to interfere in the negotiations “The time for decisions is once the negotiations have been completed,” he said “The law stipulates that consultative negotiations in a company of our size must last at least six weeks.” YLE on Tuesday highlighted that the past couple of months have been tumultuous for Valmet Automotive the company called off its initial public offering only a couple of weeks after announcing its plan citing the eroding economic outlook and market uncertainty recently started mass production of Lightyear 0 a solar-powered electric vehicle designed by the Netherland’s Lightyear and put pen to paper on a deal to manufacture an electric solar car called Sono Sion for Germany’s Sono Motors The production of the latter model is expected to start in the second half of this year Valmet Automotive declared its interest in expanding its plot and manufacturing site in Uusikaupunki Open image viewerThe Valmet Automotive assembly line in Uusikaupunki (file photo) Image: Jyrki Lyytikkä / YleYle News26.7.2022 18:43Valmet Automotive has signed a deal with Mercedes-Benz to manufacture Mercedes-AMG GT sports cars in Uusikaupunki on Finland's west coast The coupés will be produced as both hybrids and regular combustion engine models Production will start towards the end of next year Valmet Automotive estimates that the manufacturing of the cars will employ about 200 people in various departments of the factory the production will not require recruitment of new employees Valmet Automotive said it was laying off 300 employees all four-door Mercedes-AMG GT cars will be manufactured in Uusikaupunki the production must meet very high requirements we are making vehicles that require special skills and top-of-the-line quality And it’s great to be back manufacturing sports cars," Pasi Rannus Valmet Automotive's SVP Manufacturing said in a press release Mercedes-Benz and Valmet Automotive have previously partnered on the production of three other car models State-owned investment company Tesi has a 38 percent stake in Valmet Automotive which was spun off from the state-owned engineering company Valmet in 1995 A shortage of rental homes could complicate the recruitment campaign launched by Valmet Automotive in Uusikaupunki on Wednesday, reports Kauppalehti The automotive manufacturer announced that it will recruit more than one thousand new car builders and white-collar workers over the next twelve months as it prepares to begin the production of Mercedes-Benz GLC SUVs but the supply is outright awful,” Katriina Nordberg a sales secretary at Vakka-Suomen Kiinteistöspesialistit laments in an interview with the commerce-oriented newspaper - Valmet Automotive to hire 1,000 new car builders, white-collar workers (17 November “This is something that always arises during the recruitment campaigns of Valmet,” she says Nordberg adds that the problem is compounded by the fact that the majority of employees are in the market for reasonably-priced rental flats with rents no higher than 450 euros a month “If I'm asking 500 euros [a month] for a two-room flat an online letting agency owned by Alma Media only had nine rental units available in Uusikaupunki on Wednesday while the town itself had roughly a dozen units available for tenants A number of nearby municipalities might therefore also benefit from the projected influx of workers to Uusikaupunki “I predict that we'll be faced with a big tide of migrants and we should look to seize the opportunity,” says Matti Muukkonen a town of roughly 2,150 residents located 20 kilometres north of Uusikaupunki Olli Rehn (Centre), the Minister of Economic Affairs, and Jari Lindström (PS), the Minister of Employment and Justice, have promised to take action to address the recruitment difficulties faced by Valmet Automotive such as the shortage of rental housing options Aleksi Teivainen – HTPhoto: Handout – Valmet AutomotiveSource: Uusi Suomi Valmet Automotive is set to scale down production at its assembly plant in Uusikaupunki Mercedes-Benz A-class cars and GLC crossovers were produced at the plant in March 2017 VALMET AUTOMOTIVE has announced it will launch consultative negotiations about temporary personnel cuts at its assembly plant in Uusikaupunki The Finnish contract car manufacturer stated last week that the reductions will add up to approximately 260 person-years of work and will affect both blue- and white-collar employees in production and production support tasks The negotiations will not affect the employees of its planned battery pack plant in Salo The plant is scheduled to commence production later this year are necessary for financial and operational reasons as well as due to changes in the automotive industry that require assembly plants to increase their operational and production-related flexibility Valmet Automotive is planning on implementing the reductions primarily as temporary lay-offs no longer than 90 days without resorting to any permanent personnel cuts The contract manufacturer revealed that it will scale down production for the next three to four months It also added that it expects its order intake to rebound to the planned level after January 2020 Valmet Automotive has experienced robust growth in recent years having crushed its production record in 2017 and hired 1,000 new employees at its assembly plant in 2018 with the company announcing this spring it is adding a total of 1,000 employees to its payroll in Salo and Uusikaupunki Aleksi Teivainen – HTSource: Uusi Suomi Valmet Automotive forged a preliminary agreement with Dutch firm Lightyear, due to be confirmed in August. Under the agreement, Valmet will manufacture a few hundred vehicles belonging to a limited series of Lightyear One electric cars. The Finnish company manufactures batteries in Salo, while the factory in Uusikaupunki currently assembles Mercedes-Benz vehicles as well as hybrid models. "A few years ago, we made decisions on a new strategy for sustainable development and transport. As a product, this fits the picture perfectly," manufacturing director Pasi Rannus said. The production of solar-powered vehicles does not differ significantly from that of electric cars, according to Rannus. Manufacturing involves simply equipping the cars with solar panels that produce cleaner energy. Rannus described the business venture as "a new direction" for the company. "We get to learn something new and Lightyear gets to utilise our expertise in car manufacturing," he said. Correction 19.7. 22.10: The company in question is Valmet Automotive, not Valmet as earlier said in the headline and text. Open image viewerThe Yara Nauma (file photo) Image: Martin Witte / AOPYle News7.8.2020 15:01Eleven out of a dozen crew members with confirmed coronavirus infections aboard a Norwegian-flagged freighter off the south-west coast of Finland remained aboard the ship as its cargo was offloaded at sea According to Estonian public broadcaster ERR the ship arrived near the harbour city of Uusikaupunki on Friday morning was returning to Uusikaupunki from Sillamäe The vessel had first departed for Estonia from Uusikaupunki on Tuesday and returned on Friday Finnish news agency STT reported that one of the patients was taken ashore and driven by ambulance for a medical check Open image viewerThe LPG tanker Yara Nauma (red and circled) roughly 30 km off of Uusikaupunki at about 11:30 am Friday Image: marinetraffic.comBefore the ship departed Estonia towards Finland tests revealed that 14 crew members had confirmed Covid-19 infections but two of them - a Russian and a Filipino - were receiving treatment in Estonia No one aboard the ship were Finnish citizens ERR reported on Thursday that the patients were in good physical condition and that they had been tested for coronavirus in Estonia Rather than offloading at an Uusikaupunki dock the LPG tanker's freight shipment was handled offshore using a method requiring just one Yara harbour worker to board the ship That employee was equipped with personal protective equipment Helsinki to set up new Covid-19 testing points as city gets busier after summerPublished 20202020Finland mulls over masks amid Covid case count creepPublished 20202020Finland reinstates travel restrictions on Belgium, Netherlands and AndorraPublished 20202020Sources: Yle, STT The company has announced plans to recruit over 1,000 new car builders this year Open image viewerThe first Mercedes-Benz GLC SUV rolled off the assembly line in Uusikaupunki on Thursday Image: Ari Welling / Yle16.2.2017 18:14•Updated 16.2.2017 19:36At an event marking the production of the first vehicle Valmet Automotive CEO Ilpo Korhonen described the GLC project is the most ambitious for his company ever Mercedes-Benz Cars and Valmet Automotive began a partnership with an A-Class manufacturing contract in 2013 the production of the Mercedes-Benz GLC requires the hiring of a considerable number of new employees Valmet Automotive will recruit over 1,000 new workers this year the company is recruiting 500 new car builders for its Uusikaupunki plant Open image viewerAssembly at Valmet Automotive's Uusikaupunki plant. Image: Valmet AutomotiveYle News25.2.2019 13:03The auto industry in the EU, and especially in Germany, is looking on with a growing sense of foreboding as Washington continues holding to a threat to impose tariffs on cars imported from the European Union. US President Donald Trump's administration could impose tariffs of as much as 25 percent on foreign-made vehicles and parts including those from the EU. These could come into force if the U.S. is unable to reach a new trade deal with the bloc. At present there is a 2.5% tariff on EU-made cars imported to the United States. New tariffs could push up the price of a car manufactured in the EU on the U.S. market by more than 5000 euros. Higher prices would mean fewer sales and force a need to cut production. If, for example, Germany's Daimler is forced to scale back production, one of the first to feel the pinch is likely to be the Valmet Automotive plant in Uusikaupunki, Finland. Valmet Automotive manufactures Mercedes-Benz vehicles under contract with Daimler, 110,000 of them last year. Usually when market demand falls, contract manufacturers are in a weaker position than plants in the home country of the principal producer. So far, however, the threat of new tariffs has not affected the Valmet Automotive facility. "We are monitoring the situation, but it is impossible to evaluate the impact on production in Uusikaupunki," says Valmet Automotive Communications Manager Mikael Mäki. "Right now our company is producing cars as has been agreed upon with our customer. The impact of tariffs is not being seen in our operations." von Gerich believes that the threat of tariffs is a credible one, even though he hopes that they can be avoided. "My projection of the possibility of [new] tariffs is in the range of 30 to 40 percent," he adds. The export of cars manufactured in Finland has been on a sharp upward curve. Cars produced here are first shipped to Germany, from where they are then forwarded on to the U.S. and other export markets. "A growing share of Finnish-produced cars ends up in the United States, so the effects of a possible tariff on contract manufacturers could be big. If these tariffs are shifted directly to retail prices, exports to the United States could dry up very quickly," points outs Olli-Pekka Penttilä, director of statistics at Finnish Customs. Finnish Customs estimated that almost all petrol engine cars manufactured in Finland were exported to the U.S. via Germany last year - while in 2017, a good half ended up in the United States. In practice, these were Mercedes-Benz models produced at Valmet Automotive's plant in Uusikaupunki. U.S. custom figures show that during the first ten months of last year, approximately 1.5 billion euros worth of Finnish-made cars were imported to that country, 70 percent more than during the same period of 2017. Open image viewerThe Valmet Automotive factory in Uusikaupunki. Image: Saana Sjöblom-Hasselblatt / YleYle News21.3.2023 10:18•Updated 21.3.2023 13:57Valmet Automotive has announced the completition of change negotiations started in January and will implement changes in job descriptions, furloughs and dismissals. The company says it needs to reduce its workforce by 940 employees, of which about half will be implemented as furloughs valid until further notice, and the rest as redundancies. The job cuts will come into effect in late April - early May. Pasi Rannus, the company's senior vice-president for contract vehicle manufacturing, told Yle that the workforce reductions are due to a decrease in production volumes. "We are talking, however, about a permanent reduction in production. Changes in the global automotive industry and recent geopolitical events also affect us. Production will continue, but it will be scaled to meet market demand," explained Rannus. The Valmet Automotive plant in Uusikaupunki will start production of the Mercedes-AMG GT model in the autumn. That order will provide work for around 150 people. Open image viewerAbout 4,500 people work at Valmet Automotive's plant in Uusikaupunki Image: Paula Collin / YleYle News28.2.2019 14:51Valmet Automotive plans to open a car battery plant in the southwestern town of Salo Recruitment for about 300 workers would start as soon as possible while production is expected to begin later this year the plant would be located at a space previously occupied by Nokia’s mobile phone factory at Salo’s IoT Campus “Salo offers world-class engineering and manufacturing knowledge as well as infrastructure that meets our needs,” Valmet Automotive’s chief executive Olaf Bongwald said Salo's Mayor Lauri Inna is pleased about the news and I consider it highly likely that these plans will materialise,” said Inna Since Microsoft closed its unit in Salo in 2015 the town has suffered from a high unemployment rate and falling property prices About 4,500 people work at Valmet Automotive's plant in Uusikaupunki where Mercedes-Benz vehicles are manufactured under contract with Daimler as the local car plant plans to hire more than 1,000 people in the coming months Next year it will begin producing an as-yet-unspecified Mercedes compact vehicle Open image viewerThe Valmet plant will be actively hiring this spring Image: Valmet AutomotiveWif Stenger22.3.2017 13:37Finland's Valmet Automotive has landed a major new contract from German automaker Daimler will begin manufacturing a new-generation compact model from Mercedes-Benz Daimler has not yet unveiled any details of the new model Open image viewerKorhonen spoke to reporters in Vantaa on 22 March Image: Vesa Moilanen / Lehtikuva"This indicates how satisfied the customer is with our service," says Valmet Automotive CEO Ilpo Korhonen Production is to begin in the second half of 2018 Valmet Automotive also announced on Wednesday that it will need about 1,000 new employees within the next few months The facility is already churning out two other Mercedes models the A-Class compact and the GLC-Class Luxury SUV Production of the A-Class is to be phased out toward the end of this year The new Mercedes contract also extends "far into the future," says Korhonen The deal represents an investment of tens of millions of euros Valmet Automotive now has about 2,300 workers in Uusikaupunki Some 300 were already scheduled to begin work soon before Wednesday's announcements The firm says it will need more than a thousand more people on the payroll to meet its orders By the end of this year the auto plant will have an estimated workforce of 3,700 – a major shot in the arm for a town of just over 15,000 people