Valio planning to invest €60m in Finland cheese facility

Finnish food major Valio has announced plans to invest €60m ($65.3m) in cheese production at a domestic plant.

The deal will see the Lapinlahti factory expanded by 2,000 square metres to encompass new cheesemaking equipment, a new packaging operation and a new power sub-station and back-up power.

The company said the investment is intended to replace the current manufacturing apparatus, which has reached the end of its technical service life.

Construction work will begin in the summer, and a new production line is expected to be up and running in the spring of 2026.

Lapinlahti is one of Valio’s largest facilities. It receives about a quarter of Valio’s raw milk, a total of approximately 415 million litres per year.

The factory produces cheeses primarily for the domestic market but it exports some produce to countries including the US.

In addition to cheese, the Lapinlahti plant produces milk powder, demineralised whey powder, lactose-free milk powders and baby food.

The Lapinlahti factory employs around 285 people.

Just Food