Next spring, Fazer will decide on the construction of a new confectionery factory in Lahti. The new factory would replace the current factories in Lappeenranta and Vantaa.
The food company Fazer is currently determining how many employees of its confectionery factories would be willing to go to work in Lahti.
The company is planning a confectionery factory in Lahti, which, when completed, would replace the current confectionery factories in Lappeenranta and Vantaa. Fazer chose Lahti as the location for its new factory last spring.
A survey is also currently underway for the employees to find out their willingness to go to work in Lahti.
According to Hellström, answering the survey is voluntary. He does not predict the final results of the survey yet, but says that he has heard views both for and against the move.
– I have heard strong arguments in favor of not being able to move. It is understandable that not everyone has the opportunity, for example for family or other reasons, and we are looking for other options for them, says Hellström.
He says that he has also heard a lot from people who perhaps live in the communities between the current factories and the Lahti plot. It doesn’t matter to them whether they drive to their current location or to Lahti
According to Hellström, many employees are probably still thinking about their decision. Although the survey is being conducted now, the employees do not have to make final decisions yet.
Construction decision next spring
The investment decision on the construction of the Lahti factory is planned to be made in the spring of 2023. The operation of the current factories would be transferred to the new one in stages between 2025 and 2027.
– At the moment, we are drawing a big picture of what the new factory would look like, which different lines and what kind of line technology we intend to acquire there, Hellström says.
On the basis of the reports, it becomes more precise, for example, how much the factory would cost and what the delivery times of the equipment would be. According to Hellström, at this stage it is not possible to estimate how much the current inflation situation will affect the price of the factory.