Finnish media conglomerate Lehtisepät Oy will permanently shutter its Kouvola newspaper printing facility in the coming months. The company confirmed completion of change negotiations on November 26, resulting in 22 employees receiving termination notices. Only three workers will receive transfer offers to the company's remaining printing plants in Lahti and Varkaus. This consolidation reflects ongoing structural challenges within Finland's regional media landscape as digital transformation accelerates.
The decision stems from financial and production considerations according to company leadership. Parent corporation Keskisuomalainen Oyj projects approximately 1.5 million euros in annual efficiency gains from the consolidation. These savings will fully materialize during the latter half of the next fiscal year. The move leaves Lehtisepät Oy with just two operational newspaper printing facilities nationwide.
Vesa-Pekka Kangaskorpi, CEO of Keskisuomalainen Oyj, explained the logistical implications for regional publications. "We can look at the map to see which location is more probable," Kangaskorpi said in a statement. "We prefer printing in our own facilities rather than external ones." This suggests the Lahti and Varkaus plants will absorb production previously handled in Kouvola.
The Kouvola printing plant joined the Keskisuomalainen consortium during spring 2019 through the acquisition of Kaakon Viestinnän. The facility currently prints several former Kaakon Viestinnän publications including Etelä-Saimaa, Kouvolan Sanomat, Länsi-Savo, Kymen Sanomat and Itä-Savo. These regional newspapers now face production transitions amid Finland's broader media consolidation trend.
This closure represents another contraction in Finland's traditional print media sector, which has seen numerous consolidations and job reductions nationwide. The Kymenlaakso region particularly feels these changes as local media infrastructure diminishes. What does this mean for regional news coverage and employment stability in Eastern Finland? The transition toward centralized printing operations continues reshaping how Finns access local journalism.
Media industry analysts note such consolidations often precede further content rationalization. Regional newspapers might eventually share more content as printing centralizes. The Finnish government monitors these developments closely given media's crucial role in democratic discourse. Parliament members from affected regions typically raise concerns about preserving local journalism during such transitions.
Workers facing redundancy enter Finland's robust unemployment security system, but regional job markets struggle to absorb specialized printing professionals. The timing coincides with broader European media transformations, though Finland's situation remains distinct due to its bilingual publishing requirements and geographically dispersed population.