Aijala, or Ajosniitty is an old mining area. In the 17th century they quarried silver and gold there. Later in the 19th century there was need for iron, which lead to recommissioning the old area. No relics remain from those times, but after WWII a new zinc deposit was found from immediate vicinity of the old open pits. The underground mine with concentration plant developed by Suomen Malmi Oy and later passed to Outokumpu Oy started productive mining in 1949, but stopped already in 1958. After a few years of silence, the plant continued to concentrate ore digged from the nearby Metsämonttu mine until 1974. After this, mining industry left the traditional mining municipality.

The Aijala mine wasn't that big unit for Outokumpu Oy, even together with Metsämonttu deposit, but locally it's importance was of course remarkable. At best times the mine offered job for more than 200 persons. Losing such an employer was a heavy punch to the municipal economy, from which it apparently hasn't fully recovered.

Late in the year 2000 we searched for the mine and drove past this plant. From the distance it first looked like a church, or maybe a fire station with it's "watchtowers" and mild yellow shade. When coming closer we realised it had to be something industrial, and abandoned (or, in secondary use). It turned out that the plant serves small scale industry, but it doesn't occupy even nearly all sections of the spacy plant.