Orion's pharmaceutical plant opens in Salo - investment will create over 100 jobs
The pharmaceutical company Orion is centralising the majority of its packaging and logistics functions in Salo. Its new pharmaceutical plant will create over a hundred jobs in Salo. Minister of Labour Lauri Ihalainen attended the inauguration ceremony in Salo on Friday. "Finland is undergoing a global structural change, which is also changing our industrial structure. In order to cope with the change, we need courage and belief in our own abilities. Orion's investment provides the best possible example of this," Ihalainen says.
The new plant in Salo is one of Orion's major investments this year. In order to be able to meet increasing demand and product volumes, Orion is centralising its logistics functions and most of its tablet packaging in Salo. This will also create extra space for pharmaceutical production and new investments in Orion's plants in Espoo and Turku, as most of their packaging functions will be located in Salo.
Located in Nokia's former premises, the new pharmaceutical plant will enable the expansion of Orion's pharmaceutical production and the development of the entire supply chain to correspond with the industry's quality and official requirements, which are constantly being tightened. Minister of Labour Lauri Ihalainen inaugurated the plant in the opening ceremony on Friday.
"Finland is currently undergoing a global structural change, which is also changing our industrial structure. In order to cope with the change, we need courage and belief in our own abilities. Orion's investment in the new plant is the best possible example of this. In Europe and in Finland, we need growth in the economy and productivity in order to secure our standard of living. Growth is dependent on a high level of competence and Orion has this competence," Ihalainen says.
Plant will be fully operational by end of this year
Orion's own pharmaceutical production is located in Finland, which means that the company's entire chain of pharmaceutical research and development is based in Finland, employing over 500 people in various R&D tasks. Orion invested over EUR 100 million in pharmaceutical development in 2013.
"The pharmaceutical industry is a high-tech industry with active international networking. Finland has an excellent level of pharmaceutical competence. We investigated a number of alternatives for the development of our supply chain, and decided to make further investments in Finland and in Salo. The main factors supporting our plans to open a new facility included the logistically good location for our functions and the availability of new personnel," says Timo Lappalainen, Orion's President and CEO.
The opening of a new pharmaceutical plant is not something that happens every decade in Finland. The investment will create over a hundred jobs in Salo. Orion launched its warehousing and logistics functions in Salo in summer 2013, and the first tablet packaging lines were started at the end of February this year. The plant will be fully operational by the end of 2014.
"The fact that Orion chose Salo is very important with regard to employment and the general atmosphere in the town. When a company like Orion makes a big investment like this, it provides the best possible message to other companies that are thinking of investing in Salo," says Antti Rantakokko, Mayor of Salo.
Orion's plant in Salo was inaugurated on Friday. Timo Lappalainen, Orion's President and CEO, Lauri Ihalainen, Minister of Labour, Antti Rantakokko, Mayor of Salo, Juha Olkinuora, Nokia's Vice President of Workplace Resources, and the new employees of the Salo plant attended the opening ceremony.
Photographs
Photos from the opening ceremony will be placed on the Orion material bank 21 March and can be downloaded from 1 p.m. onwards: http://materialbank.orion.fi/salontehtaanavajaiset
Photographer: Tomi Parkkonen
Orion Corporation
Contact persons:
Timo Lappalainen, President and CEO; Orion Corporation
Tel. +358 (0)50 966 3692, timo.lappalainen@orion.fi
Virve Laitinen, Senior Vice President, Supply Chain; Orion Corporation
Tel. +358 (0)50 966 4373, virve.laitinen@orion.fi
Antti Rantakokko, Mayor of Salo
Tel. +358 (0)2 778 2000, antti.rantakokko@salo.fi
Published by:
Orion Corporation
Communications
Orionintie 1A, 02200 Espoo
Orion is a globally operating Finnish company that develops pharmaceuticals and diagnostic tests - a builder of well-being. It develops, manufactures and markets human and veterinary pharmaceuticals, active pharmaceutical ingredients and diagnostic tests. The company is constantly developing new drugs and treatment methods. Pharmaceutical R&D focuses on central nervous system drugs, cancer and critical care drugs and inhalable Easyhaler® pulmonary drugs.
Orion's net sales in 2013 amounted to EUR 1,007 million, and the company had about 3,500 employees at the end of the year. Orion's A and B shares are listed on NASDAQ OMX Helsinki.