Finnish piping systems specialist Uponor (Vantaa; www.uponor.com) has now given more form to its restructuring designs, specifically in terms of the measures to be taken locally. Following the conclusion of employee discussions in early November, the company has announced it will be closing production sites in Ulvila and Forssa. It now looks as if the planned number of layoffs – see Plasteurope.com of 25.09.2013 – will be fewer than previously anticipated. Of the current 740 positions in Finland, the company now says it will only need to cut 111 jobs instead of 140. In addition, previous announcements of additional measures involving temporary layoffs are also no longer on the table.

The production sites in Ulvila and Forssa belong to new company entity Uponor Infra, which was created out of the JV activities with fellow Finn KWH (Vasaa; www.kwhpipe.com) – see Plasteurope.com of 04.07.2013. The production capacity from the coastal town of Ulvila, which currently has 65 employees, is to be moved 256 kms inland to Nastola; Forssa's production – currently achieved with 26 employees – is to be relocated to Vasaa, 320 kms away to the south. The two moves translate to the creation of 30 jobs at the Nastola and Vasaa locations. The company has said its priority is to offer the new positions to individuals affected by the closings at the other production sites. In addition to the elimination of manufacturing positions, Uponor is also cuttings jobs in sales, marketing, product management and supply chain.

The restructuring activities are to be concluded by the end of the first quarter in 2014. Subsidiaries Uponor Infra and Uponor Suomi also operate two smaller production sites in Jyväskylä and Tuusula. Uponor management estimates the measures will negatively impact its operating results in the year's Q4 by about EU 5m.