HK RUOKATALO MAKES FURTHER PROGRESS WITH

HK Ruokatalo Oyj  STOCK EXCHANGE BULLETIN 15 March 2004, at 11am

HK RUOKATALO MAKES FURTHER PROGRESS WITH NETWORKING

HK Ruokatalo and food producer Oy Lunden Ab of Turku have signed an
agreement whereby HK Ruokatalo will switch production of its
mayonnaise-based salads to Lunden. This arrangement applies solely to
production. These products themselves will continue to be sold and
marketed under the HK brand through HK Ruokatalo’s own marketing
channels. The transfer will take place by the end of the year.

HK Ruokatalo has been actively seeking an opportunity to use
networking to generate synergetic advantages at minimum investment
outlay. Whilst salad production is not part of HK Ruokatalo’s core
business, it does excellently complement Lunden’s suite of products,
which includes soups, canned meats and foods, tubes of paste and
mustards.

To date, HK Ruokatalo’s salads have been made at the company’s
Riihimäki plant, where annual production has been in the range of some
two million kg. Aside from salads, the Riihimäki plant also produces a
certain amount of convenience foods. Studies are currently underway on
transferring the production of convenience foods to HK Ruokatalo’s
production facilities in Vantaa. The Riihimäki plant has a permanent
staff of 20, all of whom have been offered the chance of working in
Vantaa.


HK Ruokatalo Oyj



Simo Palokangas
Chief executive officer



DISTRIBUTION:
Helsinki Exchanges
Internet: www.hk-ruokatalo.fi