Valmet and Whakatane Mill renew their performance agreement in New Zealand


Valmet and Whakatane Mill Ltd have signed a multiyear agreement for continuous performance service for Whakatane PM3 board line in New Zealand. The value of the agreement will not be disclosed.

The original performance agreement was signed in 2014 and was later extended for another three-year period. This renewal is the second extension with continuous and systematic development of Whakatane PM3’s productivity and quality with concrete targets regarding availability and optimization.

“Valmet is an experienced service provider and supports us to get the most out of our existing assets. Our team on site has worked closely with Valmet’s global experts over the past five years to achieve the agreed targets. Now we renew the agreement to further explore the development potential. We plan to bring the machine and our cooperation to next level,” says Peter McLaverty, Head of Continuous Improvement, Whakatane Mill Ltd.

“It is a pleasure to continue to work with the experienced and engaged team of Whakatane Mill. We have been working very closely together to explore the machine potential and deliver the results. For example, the machine availability has been improved by reducing the unplanned breakdowns, and the runnability and formation have been optimized via multi-variability control. Renewing the agreement is the best acknowledgement for our work,” says Pierre de Villiers, Mill Sales Manager, Australia and New Zealand, Valmet.

Digital space for continuous collaboration

The new feature in the renewed agreement is the utilization of Valmet Customer Portal, a digital collaboration space for real-time information sharing between customer and Valmet. The portal will be customized based on Whakatane’s requirements, and will enable both parties an easy and quick access to the visualized data.