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ATRIA ACQUIRES THE SECOND LARGEST MEAT PROCESSING COMPANY IN ST. PETERSBURG

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Atria Group plc        STOCK EXCHANGE RELEASE     16 JUNE 2005 AT 8:00 AM


ATRIA ACQUIRES THE SECOND LARGEST MEAT PROCESSING COMPANY IN THE ST. PETERSBURG
REGION

Atria has expanded its operations into Russia by acquiring the meat processing
business of the PIT Produkt Group operating in the St. Petersburg region. The
transaction is subject to approval from the Russian competition authorities and
the fulfilment of certain closing conditions. The parties have agreed not to make
the purchase price public. The PIT Produkt Group of companies consists of several
subsidiaries. The turnover of the Group is expected to reach about 50 million US
dollars in 2006.

With the acquisition of PIT Produkt, Atria will become a leading player in the
St. Petersburg area. A customer base of over five million people and the steady
growth of retail sales combined with the ongoing structural change in the retail
sector will help Atria establish a solid foothold in the rapidly growing Russian
market.

Atria has had an eye on the Russian market for a long time due to its fast growth
rate. Atria has been looking for potential acquisition targets in both St.
Petersburg and Moscow regions. PIT Produkt is a well-established player in its
own area, and in addition to this, the company also has customers, for example,
in the Moscow area. This is why the company provides an excellent window to
Russia. The companies share a common vision of the need for substantial
investments in the further development of the Russian operations in order to
ensure continued growth in Russia.

The PIT Produkt Group was established in 1996 and since then has rapidly expanded
to become the second largest meat processing company in the St. Petersburg
region. The company currently operates two production plants with some 1,000
employees. Their production machinery is modern and well maintained.

According to a survey commissioned by Atria, the market share of PIT Produkt is
about 15-20 percent in the St. Petersburg region. The company is a supplier to
several major supermarket chains.

Their main products include various kinds of meat products. Their main brand is
Pit Produkt (the company name).

The company has an investment programme, which includes the expansion of
production capacity as well as the construction of a logistics centre.



ATRIA GROUP PLC

Seppo Paatelainen
Chief Executive Officer


DISTRIBUTION
Helsinki Stock Exchange
Principal media
www.atria.fi

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