The manufacturing process will need revisions to paint shop processes and the establishment of a dedicated assembly line for AMG GT, the fourth model the company has manufactured for Mercedes-Benz.
Pasi Rannus, the director of manufacturing at Valmet Automotive, said the contract is an exceptionally convincing demonstration of the company's capabilities.
He said that Valmet Automotive made vehicles that require special skills and top-of-the-line quality because of the AMG. It is great to be back in the business of producing sports cars. According to Valmet Automotive, the freshly inked contract is expected to guarantee employment to around 200 people in different functions of the assembly plant. The company plans to address any personnel needs with re-assignments, so the manufacturing will not necessitate any new hirings.
The Finnish company announced earlier this summer it will lay off about 300 and furlough around 700 employees at the assembly plant, citing a decline in manufacturing volume linked to the expiry of another contract with Mercedes-Benz. It said the furloughed employees would be called back to work slowly over the course of next year as various other projects moved on to the manufacturing phase.
In the last few years, the company has increased its headcount. Its assembly plant employs around 2,000 people even after the recent cuts.