Image: Mikael Rydenfelt / Yle

Finnish auto industry firm Valmet Automotive said on Tuesday that it plans to hire dozens of "white collars" for positions in prodcution, support and engineering services for production of Mercedes-Benz compact A-Class vehicles.



The company said that extra staff would be needed during the beginning of the year and that several hundred car builders also need to be hired.

In all, the company said it plans to hire about 1,000 new employees at its plant in Uusikaupunki, in south-western Finland this year.

The company made the announcements at a press conference on Tuesday.

"The number of personnel at Valmet Automotive’s Uusikaupunki car plant, the biggest factory in Finland, is now around 4000," the firm wrote in a release.

"Additional personnel for the needs of the new A-Class production will be required in the body, paint and assembly shops as well as in the internal logistics," the company stated, adding that it would train all personnel.

Valmet Automotive, which employs a total of about 5,500 workers in Finland and other parts of Europe, provides services and products like automotive engineering, vehicle manufacturing, battery systems and convertible roof systems.