Food company Valio is making a significant investment of over €60m in the cheese production process at its Lapinlahti plant.
The investment includes an expansion of the existing facilities and the replacement of the equipment. The investment is intended to replace the current manufacturing equipment, which has reached the end of its technical service life. Construction work will begin in the summer of 2024, and the new production line is expected to be commissioned in the spring of 2026.
“With this significant investment, we secure the continuity of cheese production for a long time to come. In practice, this means that, for example, our popular gourmet cheese, Valio Keisarinna, everyday favourite Valio Hyvä suomalainen Arki and dozens of other cheeses will continue to be found on store shelves. The investment will also reduce the waste generated in production and boost the cheese-making capacity of the Lapinlahti plant,” says Aleksi Ylitalo, director of the Lapinlahti plant.
The changes in cheesemaking include an expansion of the existing facilities with a floor area of about 2,000 square metres and new cheesemaking equipment. Also the packaging operations and equipment will be renewed. In addition, the investment includes a new power substation and back-up power.
Lapinlahti, one of Valio’s largest locations, is situated in a core region of Finnish milk production and receives about a quarter of Valio’s raw milk, i.e. 415 million litres of milk per year. Lapinlahti produces ripened cheeses for everyday use and gourmet occasions. Cheeses are made for the domestic market and are also exported to, for example, Central Europe and the United States.
In addition to cheeses, the Lapinlahti plant produces milk powder, demineralized whey powder and added-value powders such as lactose-free milk powders and baby food. Most of the milk powder products are exported.