Arabia factory's new mass and glaze production plant is opened
Fiskars Corporation Press Release October 21, 2011 at 10.00 EET
The Mayor of Helsinki, Jussi Pajunen, opened the new mass and glaze production plant at the Arabia factory in Helsinki today. The plant, which was completed during the summer – more familiarly, Massiivi, will particularly enhance the efficiency of Arabia’s color glaze production process, strengthening the factory’s role as Fiskars Group’s ceramic competence center. Moreover, with more efficient processes, the factory will be able to meet demand fluctuations more flexibly.
The new mass and glaze production plant is part of Fiskars Group’s significant investment in the development of the Arabia factory and replaces the old mass plant that was built in the 1930s. In the new process, the measuring of raw materials is computer-guided and mixing takes place mechanically in closed tanks. Consequently, the entire process is protected from dust and the mass and glazes remain clean. The plant’s planning and implementation process has taken a little over two years. It was designed by the factory’s own experts with the help of external process experts.
“The Arabia factory is widely recognized as a world leader in color glazes. Now, in-house experts have developed a high-quality mass and glaze production process for the factory. Thanks to this new process, we will also in the future be able to develop and produce masses and glazes ourselves and use a wide and individualized selection of glazes. For consumers, this means products of even higher quality,” says Hille Korhonen, Vice President, Operations at Fiskars Corporation.
Art and production at the heart of the capital
Founded in 1873, the Arabia factory has always operated in close interaction with both the surrounding area and the City of Helsinki. In recent decades, Helsinki has invested in housing production in the Arabia area, as well as in the multifaceted development of the region. The Mayor of Helsinki, Jussi Pajunen, sees Arabia’s strong cultural heritage as part of the area’s attractiveness also in the future.
“Arabia’s significance as one of the builders of the international reputation of Finnish industrial art is indisputable. The Arabia region has a special position in the strategy of the City of Helsinki as an important environment for a development and innovation center for art, science, and the creative fields. The heart of the region remains the traditional ceramics factory. The product development and design centered around the factory offer both jobs and visiting attractions for tourists. Indeed, as a representative of the City of Helsinki, I am very glad that Fiskars Group has decided to invest in the development of the Arabia factory and wants to secure the factory’s operational preconditions also in the future”, Pajunen said.
For more information, please contact
Tuija Aalto-Setälä, Head of PR, Fiskars Home
Tel. +358 204 39 5255, tuija.aalto-setala@fiskars.com
Fiskars is a leading global supplier of consumer products for the home, garden and outdoors. The group has a strong portfolio of respected international brands, including Fiskars, Iittala and Gerber. Founded in 1649 and listed on NASDAQ OMX Helsinki, Fiskars is Finland's oldest company. Fiskars recorded net sales of EUR 716 million in 2010, and employs some 3,600 people in over 20 countries. www.fiskarsgroup.com