Epec invests in a responsible new electronics factory in Seinäjoki Finland, aiming for carbon neutrality.
ESF1 (Epec Smart Factory 1) will include a three-story office space and a total of 8,500 m2 (91,500 ft2) of factory space. Epec's headquarters with its R&D, engineering, support and production functions will move to new premises from its current premises on the Seinäjoki campus. In addition to Seinäjoki, the company also has offices in Tampere, Turku and Kuopio in Finland, and Shanghai in China. The construction of ESF1 started in spring 2022 and the new facilities will be operational towards the end of 2023.
Digitalisation and electrification are rapidly increasing their share of the non-road machinery and commercial vehicle sector, which has opened up new and expanding markets for Epec. With a state-of-the-art factory, EPEC is able to meet growing demand and increasingly stringent customer requirements, for example in terms of manufacturing processes. The Western Finland region has a technology cluster that supports operations, and the Seinäjoki centre of growth provides a good framework for growing operations.
Epec is a system supplier developing and manufacturing electronics and software for non-road mobile machines (NRMM) and commercial vehicles. Epec products include control units, displays, sensors, power distribution units and telematics units. The company's clients include Ponsse, Metso, Sandvik, Husqvarna and Liebherr.
Epec is fully committed to promoting sustainable development, energy efficiency and reducing its carbon footprint. The factory project is a prime example of this: ESF1 will aim for carbon neutrality during its use and will employ sustainable manufacturing processes. 800 solar panels will be installed on the roof of the factory to generate electricity, the common areas will be heated by a geothermal system, the heat generated by the factory will be recovered by efficient needle heat exchangers, and the need for cooling energy will be significantly reduced by an aluminium grille on the office wall. All electricity and heating energy is sourced from renewable resources.
Epec has grown rapidly in recent years. Between 2019 and 2022, the number of people has increased by almost 70%. The greatest need at the moment is for various product development and programming positions, but other specialists, assemblers and administrative staff are also needed. The new factory will initially accommodate 250 employees. Provision has also already been made for the expansion of the premises. Source