Lantmännen has started change negotiations with workers at a bakery plant in Finland that could lead to changes in employment numbers, including cuts.
The Lantmännen Cerealia division of the Sweden-headquartered parent said the talks concern staff at its Kotka factory, which produces crispbreads and rye snacks for the Finnish and global markets.
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A spokesperson for Lantmännen Cerealia insisted no final decisions have been made with the 140 employees who are part of the talks at Kotka, including white-and-blue collar workers in production, warehousing and maintenance functions.
“The negotiations focus on changes to how we work and our team structure, with the aim of strengthening long-term competitiveness in a challenging market environment,” the spokesperson said in a statement provided to Just Food.
“The process is about discussing and implementing organisational changes together with employee representatives, while seeking to minimise the impact on employees.”
While some roles at Kotka may “disappear” there could also be “some new roles” that may emerge from the negotiations.
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By GlobalDataExplaining the rationale, the spokesperson added: “The food market is becoming increasingly unpredictable, with shifting demand patterns, cost pressures and higher requirements on efficiency and resilience.
“To remain competitive over time, we need to continuously review how we work, how we organise our teams and how we use our resources in a smart and efficient way.”
Lantmännen is a diversified agri-group stretching from food, to crop and seed production, to agricultural machinery.
The two main food units are Lantmännen Unibake (bakery products) and Lantmännen Cerealia.
A selection of Lantmännen Cerealia’s portfolio includes the Axa brand of breakfast products, Finn Crisp rye snacks, Gyllenhammars oats and vegan products under the GoGreen line.
The parent cooperative generated annual sales of Skr68bn ($7.6bn) in 2024, operating profit of Skr2.9bn and net income of Skr2.06bn. Last year’s results are due on 11 February.
Lantmännen’s individual food businesses have been active in M&A.
Late last year, Lantmännen Unibake snapped up Italian frozen bread manufacturer Panificio San Francesco.
The Co-op’s meat arm Scan Sverige also acquired the Swedish charcuterie brand Slaktarkorv, while Unibake purchased Boboli Benelux, a Dutch producer of savoury baked goods.
