Jerker Hartwall appointed Managing Director and CEO of the Karlshamns Group

Jerker Hartwall appointed Managing Director and CEO of the Karlshamns Group Jerker Hartwall thereby leaves his position of Managing Director of Perstorp Chemicals AB, as well as his post on the Group Management of Perstorp. - We are very pleased to see Karlshamns joined by such a market-oriented and highly qualified resource, in particular so as Jerker Hartwall also possesses an extensive knowledge and great experience of the processing industry; says Jan Ohlsson, Chairman of the Board of Karlshamns AB. Jerker Hartwall, 48 years old, will succeed acting Managing Director Jan Elmeklo on November 1, 2000. In the past year Karlshamns has carried through a comprehensive strategy review which will now be implemented under the management of Jerker Hartwall. - This is a natural point of time for the arrival of a new, dynamic Managing Director, and we are convinced that Jerker Hartwall will contribute many new and good ideas, Jan Ohlsson continues. - I am joining Karlshamns in the midst of a very exciting period of the company's development, and I am very much looking forward to continue the development of Karlshamns' strong position on the global market for vegetable oils and fats, says Jerker Hartwall. Karlshamns is one of the world's four leading manufacturers of advanced vegetable speciality fats. Karlshamns delivers speciality fats all over the world, and is market leader in Scandinavia and Eastern Europe. The new directive allowing up to 5% vegetable fat in chocolate products, approved by the European Union this past spring, has expanded the market for cocoa butter replacers quite considerably. The food industry is Karlshamns' largest customer segment, and Sweden its single largest market. Karlshamns allocates considerable resources to research and development, as a consequence of which the company is now also advancing into market segment Functional Foods. For further information, please contact Jan Ohlsson, Chairman of the Board of Karlshamns AB, phone +46 - 70 515 69 15. ------------------------------------------------------------ This information was brought to you by BIT http://www.bit.se The following files are available for download: http://www.bit.se/bitonline/2000/10/06/20001006BIT00610/bit0001.doc http://www.bit.se/bitonline/2000/10/06/20001006BIT00610/bit0002.pdf