In five years, Valmet Automotive’s battery business has grown and become one of the largest independent battery system suppliers in Europe. The growth has been phenomenal, and the focus is firmly on the future. However, let’s go back to the early days of the Salo plant for a moment.
Kati Rissanen (Manager Quality Operations) was one of the first employees recruited for the Salo battery plant.
– I started at Valmet Automotive on September 30, 2019, when the first production lines were ramped up in an otherwise empty hall. I entered the building among the first employees hired for the new battery plant in Salo. We worked in one shift, and the quality and logistics functions were started right away, recalls Kati.
The large-scale battery production line was set up in record time at the Salo plant and now the production volumes have multiplied. In early 2024, it was announced that over 2 million battery systems were produced by Valmet Automotive in total. After Salo, the company has launched two new battery plants and the operations have been honed to perfection.
– We were already producing batteries quickly after the line construction started, Kati recalls of her early career as an operator.
FROM OPERATOR TO PROCESS DEVELOPMENT
Kati has a master’s degree in cultural studies. She has also studied sustainability, responsible business management and future research. Before joining Valmet Automotive, Kati worked as a consultant and mentor in research and development.
– While working on doctoral thesis, I needed something to do with my hands. In the production organization, I was quickly promoted and then moved to the quality team. Higher education was an advantage because I was able to analyze the needs of each position I had and make the best of them.
In September, Kati will have been five years with Valmet Automotive and is currently working in process development. In her leisure time, Kati is a sci-fi enthusiast musician who sings and plays several instruments and is living in Salo with her family.
– I have enjoyed my time here because my job description has evolved over the years. I’ve been able to contribute and put my skills to versatile use. My superpower is the ability to learn new things and to take on large projects quickly. In my spare time I write a dissertation on conflict research, says Kati.
Of the people hired to the Salo battery plant in the early days, Valmet Automotive still has more than 100 on the payroll. Employees from the early are a close-knit team, even though they work across a wide range of functions. The early experiences and the joy shared over the success of the Salo plant unite.