The latest news, trends, analysis, interviews and podcasts from the global food and beverage industry

Valio is investing €30 million to expand its cheese maturation capacity at the Joensuu production plant in Finland.

The project includes constructing a new, highly automated maturation warehouse and upgrading existing facilities to support relocated operations from Valio’s Vantaa plant.

The new warehouse will be built next to the current plant, and the existing maturation warehouse will be renovated to accommodate production lines transferred from Vantaa. This includes cheese slicing, grating and processed cheese manufacturing.

The move is part of Valio’s plan to consolidate cheese production in Joensuu between 2025 and 2027, bringing all stages – from pasteurisation to maturing and final processing – under one roof. The company aims to improve operational efficiency and reduce waste through automation and better use of production side streams.

The Joensuu plant processes milk from 800 dairy farms, mainly in North Karelia, and produces about one-third of Valio’s total cheese output. It currently manufactures 25 million kilos of cheese blocks, consumer packaged cheeses, cream cheeses and milk powders annually. Key brands produced at the site include Valio Polar, Valio Salaneuvos and Valio Viola.

The investment will also generate around 100 new jobs in Joensuu over the next few years. Valio’s Joensuu plant director, Petri Liukka, said: “The expansion will create a total of about one hundred new jobs at the Joensuu production plant within a couple of years. New positions will be created as the new production lines and facilities are gradually taken into use."

"At this stage, we have already recruited 15 new employees, and a few dozen more positions will become available on the slicing lines later this year. Valio employees from the Vantaa plant have also transferred to positions in Joensuu."

Once the expansion is complete, processed cheeses such as Valio Koskenlaskija, Valio Aamupala, Valio Olympia and Valio Kippari will also be produced in Joensuu. Around 20% of the plant’s output is exported.

Construction will begin in May 2025 and is expected to be completed by the end of 2027.