Metso to close manufacturing operations in Sweden

HELSINKI—Metso Corp. has now fully decided to discontinue operations at its manufacturing site in Trelleborg, Sweden, the Finnish group announced Jan. 10.

The decision follows union negotiations over plans to close the site, announced by the industrial products maker in November last year. A ramp-down of the operation will start in the second quarter of this year, with full closure expected in the third quarter, according to the statement.

Metso's facility in Trelleborg manufactures rubber parts for materials-handling applications, particularly in the mining industry. Metso currently employs 120 people in Trelleborg, including 68 in manufacturing-related positions who will be affected by the decision.

Once production ends at the site, Metso will have around 50 employees based in Trelleborg, working in product management, support functions and other global roles.

The group said it had "carefully evaluated" the feasibility of the operation at a regional and global level in terms of customer proximity, logistics and efficiency.

"During the negotiations, we evaluated the future of the factory as a whole," said Heikki Metsala, president of Metso's consumable business. "We concluded that discontinuing (the operation) in Sweden was unfortunately the only feasible solution."

The plant closure, he added, will be implemented in a phased manner to ensure good customer service and production capability build-up in other plants.

European customers will be mainly served by Metso's factory in Lithuania, where production capabilities will be further strengthened.

This is Metso's second rubber parts manufacturing facility to close in recent years. In 2020, the group shut down a rubber parts manufacturing operations in Ersmark, Sweden, affecting 150 jobs.

After the closing of the factory in Trelleborg, Metso will have rubber and Poly-Met factories in Mexico, Chile, Brazil, Peru, India, Lithuania and Australia.