Suunto, the well-known watchmaker from Finland, is making massive changes. Reports show that the company plans to cut over 70 percent of its remaining staff in Finland. This move means that almost all of the brand’s local presence could soon disappear, moving further away from its historic Nordic roots.
Massive Job Cuts in Finland
According to reports from the Finnish newspaper Helsingin Sanomat, Suunto recently notified its workers about the upcoming changes. Out of about 160 employees still working in Finland, roughly 118 jobs are on the line.
The cuts will mostly target people working in research, development, and manufacturing. Management roles appear to be safe for now, and the company is still holding talks with employee representatives to finalize the exact details of the downsizing.
Moving Operations to China
This major restructuring is part of a larger plan by Liesheng, the Chinese wearable maker that bought Suunto in 2022. Since the acquisition, the company has steadily shifted its development and production lines over to China to cut down on expenses.
While these changes might seem sudden to some, the writing has been on the wall for a while. Liesheng previously signaled its intention to move production entirely overseas. By doing this, the company hopes to lower operational costs so it can better compete with budget-friendly Chinese smartwatch brands like Amazfit.
What It Means for the Future
Moving operations out of Europe raises questions about how Suunto will position its products moving forward. It could become harder for the brand to justify high, premium price tags for flagship devices like the Suunto Ocean when production is entirely outsourced.
Even so, the company is expected to keep a tiny footprint in Finland. Keeping a skeleton crew behind allows the brand to maintain a legal connection to its home country, ensuring it can still market its long history and Nordic heritage to buyers around the world.
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