Estonian industrial group BLRT Grupp has opened Estonia’s first industrial foundry in Kohila, Rapla County, a roughly €14M plant that will triple the output of cast-iron components at its subsidiary, BLRT Valukoda.
The new plant raises annual capacity from about one million to three million kilograms of castings and adds the ability to produce heat-treated castings, BLRT Valukoda said. It replaces the group’s foundry at the Kopli site in Tallinn, which poured its final iron casting on 18 June.
Built for heavier Nordic orders
BLRT Grupp is the only company in Estonia to have kept large-scale foundry operations, with a history dating back to 1958. It makes cast-iron blanks for customers in Scandinavia and Estonia, who increasingly want larger and heavier components than the Kopli equipment and floor space could support. The Kohila plant will produce blanks for electric motors, forestry machinery and boilers.
“This plant is part of the Group’s long-term investment strategy and stands as clear evidence that, despite the challenging economic climate, we remain committed to strengthening and expanding our operations. Each year, the Group invests tens of millions of euros, and this facility will be one of the largest investments in foundry production in the Baltic states and Finland,” said Algerd Andruškevitšus, a member of BLRT Grupp’s management board, when the cornerstone was laid in October 2025.
BLRT Grupp signed the construction contract with Estonian builder NOBE in October 2025, and the building was topped out in April.
Seventy jobs in Rapla County
The plant will provide work for up to 70 people. “We received the operating permit yesterday. That means we will start it up on Monday, but until now we have been setting up the equipment and the first moulds have already come off the lines,” Paul Gross, managing director of BLRT Valukoda, said at the opening, writes ERR. He added that the foundry was still ten workers short.
The plant also has the potential to take on defence-industry orders. Prime Minister Kristen Michal, who attended the opening, said it would matter both for industry and, in future, probably for the defence industry.
Interested in investing in Estonia? Explore Industrial R&D opportunities. For tailored guidance, request e-Consulting from Invest Estonia’s advisors.
