Valmet’s Service Paper, Board and Tissue, Automation and Flow Control divisions are coming together in a single location. The new single headquarters that brings together in northern Italy the business units previously located in other towns is located in Sesto San Giovanni, just outside Milan. Also present at the inauguration, alongside the management that arrived from Finland, was Pia Rantala-Engberg, the Finnish Ambassador to Italy.
One group, one point of reference, one location. Valmet’s new headquarters for northern Italy was inaugurated on May 9, 2023. It is located in Sesto San Giovanni, on the outskirts of Milan, in an easily accessible location for quick connections to the major arteries of the Lombard capital, which also lead to the city’s airports, and to the city subway.
Three of the group’s units previously located in different cities, Valmet in Como that deals with Paper, Board and Tissue Service; the Assago site, in the province of Milan, deputed to Automation; and the Cinisello Balsamo site, also in the Milan area, dedicated to Flow Control, are conveyed to the new headquarters. All are already fully operational in the new location.
Developing synergies
A choice not only to rationalize space but also to encourage interaction and exchange between parts of the same company that would otherwise have little opportunity for interaction. On the large open space floor, experts from sales, those from operations and the different support functions that usually work together in the three business areas, service, automation and flow control, now work side by side.
The space, they explain at Valmet, was designed specifically to foster synergy among the various departments, and it was precisely the centrality of teamwork that was behind the design choice. To this end, the large open space includes areas specifically designed for the sharing of ideas and meetings between colleagues from different business lines. Moreover, the new layout reflects the internal policy that the group has always pursued and which Marko Lassila, vice president of sales for the Semea (South Europe, Middle East, and Africa) area of Valmet, recalled.
A policy focused not only on research and technological development of its products and solutions, but also on creating teams that know how to work in partnership and thus be more efficient internally and, consequently, in their approach to the market and customers.
International outlook
The event was an opportunity to bring together not only employees of the group’s various business units, but also Finnish management, who came to Milan specifically, and the Finnish Ambassador to Italy, Pia Rantala-Engberg, who emphasized the bond of mutual cooperation that characterizes relations between Finnish companies and Lombardy. “I am confident that the current dynamic business environment in Lombardy will continue to give Valmet an excellent foothold in the Italian market,” said the Ambassador.
Valmet President and CEO Pasi Laine also spoke via web link afterwards.
Representing the Italian paper sector, one of the markets of greatest interest to the Finnish group, was instead Massimo Ramunni, deputy director general of Assocarta and secretary of Aticelca, who described and explained to those present the key figures of the Italian paper industry.
Valmet’s souls
Valmet’s business units are divided into macro areas in which the different souls of the group are developed.
Services – offers the market flexible services capable of following the production processes of client companies during their entire life cycle.
Flow Control – deals with providing mission-critical flow control technologies and services for different process sectors.
Automation systems – the automation solutions it offers range from single measurements to plant-wide process automation systems.
Pulp and energy – focuses on technology solutions for pulp and energy production, as well as biomass conversion and emission control.
Paper – provides complete production lines, machine rebuilds and process components for paper, paperboard and tissue production.