Norelco opens multicultural factory of the future in Savonlinna

Norelco, a manufacturer of electric distribution systems, has opened a new multicultural factory of the future in Savonlinna. The factory is the result of three years of development work, during which work methods, job design, training practices, and IT solutions have been renewed. The new operating model meets both current and anticipated production and management needs.

Norelco’s growth strategy is strongly based on increasing investments in renewable energy, industry, and data centers. The goal is to reach a turnover of €60 million by 2028. This growth is driven by the green transition, which is reshaping multiple industries and creating new business opportunities. To enable this growth, Norelco is investing decisively in internationalization and in its corporate culture, facilities, production capacity, and digital solutions.

A key factor for growth and productivity is the rapid and efficient onboarding of employees into new roles. To facilitate learning and adaptation, the factory’s work processes have been redesigned so that tasks are learned in smaller segments. Previously, for example, a switchgear assembler would independently build a switchboard in about six weeks. Now, the same work is divided among several workers, reducing the lead time to four weeks.

In the new training model, factory workers receive work instructions and training materials via personal tablets. Each employee also has their own Teams account, making it easy to request support from coaches and the support team. Ideas related to occupational safety and development can be recorded directly on the tablets, making them immediately available to supervisors. Norelco also emphasizes the importance of having its ERP system under its own control, allowing it to be flexibly developed alongside evolving processes.

To improve labor availability, Norelco has adopted English as a working language alongside Finnish, enabling international recruitment. At the same time, the factory’s training materials have been developed to be bilingual, and traditional written instructions have been replaced with self-produced multimedia presentations using the ThingLink platform.

The new Itäväylä factory covers an area of 4,000 m². It produces Norelco’s NorPower 5000 LV switchgear for industrial and construction needs, as well as Schneider’s Okken switchgear for data centers and process industries.

Norelco welcomes everyone to an open house at the new Itäväylä factory on Wednesday, June 18, from 3 PM to 5 PM.

Contact

Ari Hämäläinen, CEO

+358 505291919 | ari.hamalainen@norelco.fi