Šiauliai, Lithuania - Finnish industrial machinery maker Metso Outotec Corp. has started production at its new manufacturing site Šiauliai, in northern Lithuania, the company announced 28 Sept.
“Our target is to continuously develop our global operations to ensure a competitive footprint and reliable deliveries for our customers globally,” said Sami Takaluoma, president, consumables business at Metso Outotec in a statement.
According to the official, the ramp-up of the new factory is now complete and first products have been sent to customers.
The new production plant manufactures rubber and mill lining wear parts for conveyor belts and heavy materials handling in the mining industry.
The €6-million factory is expected to create 80 jobs and employ lean manufacturing principles, Metso told ERJ in March, when it announced the planned investment
The construction of the new factory comes less than a year after Metso disclosed plans to shut down a similar production operation in Ersmark, Sweden by the end of 2020.
In its latest statement, Metso said it selected the location of the Lithuanian factory after a careful analysis customer proximity in Europe and Russia.
The location, it said, also has good logistical connections to the Middle East and Africa regions.
According to Metso, the facility uses fossil-free and renewable electricity for production and processes have been optimised “for each customer segment.”
Metso is a supplier of equipment and services for the processing and flow of natural resources in the mining, aggregates, recycling and process industries.
As part of its expansion project in Lithuania, the company opened a new Metso business services (MBS) centre in the capital city of Vilnius.
The MBS centre offers services for Metso’s finance operations and customer logistics and currently employs about 100 people.
