Metso strengthens its strategic position in South America with key investments and a new global strategy

Metso CEO Sami Takaluoma highlights the company’s strategic expansion in South America, its commitment to sustainability, and how innovation and AI will shape the mining industry’s future.

Metso CEO Sami Takaluoma reaffirmed the company’s deep commitment to South America during his visit to Chile for CESCO Week 2025, where he met with key customers and employees. The region, he emphasized, plays a critical role in Metso’s global operations and future strategy.

“South America is Metso’s largest market in terms of revenue,” Takaluoma stated. “Countries like Brazil, Chile, and Peru are central to our operations, and now there’s increasing interest in Argentina.” This sustained relevance is driving new investments and expansion plans across the region.

Ongoing investments in Chile, Peru, and Brazil

Metso is currently expanding its service centers in Antofagasta (Chile) and Arequipa (Peru) to enhance local support, while its manufacturing hub in Brazil has received major upgrades to increase production capacity for screening equipment. These investments are designed to improve responsiveness, reduce lead times, and support the growing demands of mining customers across South America.

Customer proximity as a strategic priority

A cornerstone of Metso’s success lies in its close relationship with customers. “We value being near our customers. Only by truly understanding their challenges can we provide high-value solutions,” said Takaluoma. Metso offers expert services, remote support, spare parts, and wear solutions tailored to local operational needs—delivered with regional expertise and commitment.

Boosting energy efficiency through innovation

In March 2025, Metso announced the acquisition of Swiss Tower Mills Minerals (STM), a leader in vertical grinding mill technology. According to Takaluoma, this move supports Metso’s long-term goal of boosting energy efficiency in mineral processing.

“STM’s vertical mills are key to creating low-energy comminution circuits,” he explained. “Combined with our HRC (HPGR) technology, this will become a cornerstone of future plant design, helping our customers reduce energy consumption while improving performance.”

Sustainability at the core of mining innovation

Takaluoma highlighted the urgent need to align mining with global sustainability goals. “The world needs more metals, but we must extract them sustainably,” he said. Metso is actively working to minimize water usage, lower CO₂ emissions, and improve circularity across mining operations. “This is not a challenge any one company can solve alone—it requires an industry-wide ecosystem.”

A forward-looking strategy for a changing world

Metso is finalizing a new global strategy that will shape the company’s direction for the rest of the decade. The strategy focuses on identifying key technologies and services where Metso can deliver maximum value and grow alongside its customers. It also includes the use of artificial intelligence and internal operational improvements to ensure efficiency across the organization.

“We are entering a period of strong demand for critical and rare metals,” Takaluoma said. “Our mission is to stay ahead of customer needs and support them with the right technologies and services to thrive in this evolving landscape.”