SSAB Europe will invest SEK 300M over a two year period to improve efficiency of its tube production. In the same context, the tube business will be centralized to secure long-term competitiveness. The worker consultations initiated at the Lappohja Tube Mill have been completed and the mill will be closed by the end of 2020. However, SSAB Europe will offer all Lappohja employees jobs at its other locations in Finland.
SSAB Europe aims to increase the sales volumes of premium products, which are more profitable than standard products. One part of this strategy is to increase tube sales volumes. The SEK 300M investment will be on modernizing the production lines at the Hämeenlinna Tube Mill. A development program will be drawn up for the other mills and the investments regarding this will be dealt with separately at a later date.
As a result of the restructuring, the Lappohja Tube Mill will be closed gradually by the end of 2020. Lappohja Mill has 115 employees . While there will be no workforce changes in 2018, the workforce will gradually be reduced in 2019-2020.
SSAB Europe has tube production in Hämeenlinna, Lappohja and Pulkkila as well as spirally welded tube fabrication in Oulainen and section production in Toijala.