HELSINKI: Valmet Automotive has signed an agreement for manufacturing the next generation of Mercedes-Benz compact cars at its assembly plant in Uusikaupunki, Finland.
The manufacturing contract will elevate the co-operation between Daimler and Valmet Automotive to new heights and boost the order books of the assembly plant for years to come, Ilpo Korhonen, the chief executive at the automotive manufacturer, rejoices in a press release.
The scope of the contract is comparable to those signed for manufacturing Mercedes-Benz A-Class compact cars and Mercedes-Benz GLC SUVs. The manufacturing of A-Class compact cars at the assembly plant began in 2013 and is set to continue until the end of 2017. The first GLC SUVs, meanwhile, rolled off the production line earlier this year.
The co-operation between Daimler and Valmet Automotive has been successful, confirms Klaus Zehender, a member of the divisional board of Mercedes-Benz. “That is why it is logical for us to further continue this co-operation for the next generation of compact cars,” he tells in the press release.
Valmet Automotive yesterday also announced the launch of a campaign to recruit more than 1,000 new car builders for continuing the production of Mercedes-Benz GLC SUVs.
The recruitment campaign is by far the largest ever launched by the automotive manufacturer and is set to increase the number of employees at the assembly plant to 3,700, almost 1,800 of whom will have been recruited since November, 2016.