The investment decision to build a new facility in Finland is a continuation of Metso’s strategy to strengthen valve services globally. The new center employs about 800 automation professionals.The fastest growing markets of the facility, which is specialized in manufacturing of engineered industrial valves, are the Middle East and China.“Our current deliveries have increased by half compared with the corresponding period in the previous year. Production is more than 2,500 valves per month, and volumes will be further increased in order to meet the growing global demand,” says Markku Simula, President of Flow Control business in Metso’s Automation business line.“We supply valves globally to major oil and gas companies and global forestry and paper companies. Especially companies in the Middle East, Brazil and China have recently invested at an accelerating pace in new production facilities,” explains Simula. /AA