KCI KONECRANES SIMPLIFIES GROUP LEGAL STRUCTURE

KCI KONECRANES PLC  STOCK EXCHANGE ANNOUNCEMENT  3 January, 2005 10.00 a.m.  1

KCI KONECRANES SIMPLIFIES GROUP LEGAL STRUCTURE

KCI Konecranes has merged three subsidiaries in the Special Cranes Business Area
to one legal company. The change has been entered into the Finnish Trade Register
on December 31, 2004.

In the beginning of 2004 KCI Konecranes merged the process, harbour and shipyard
crane operations under a joint operative management. Now the juridical structure
of the Group has been changed to reflect the operational organisation. Konecranes
Komponentit Oy, KCI Erikoisnosturit Oy and Konecranes VLC Oy have been merged
into a new subsidiary, KCI Special Cranes Oy.

"With this change we mainly want to clarify the legal structure of the Group and
thereby speed up decision making. Some cost savings will also amount from reduced
administrational needs", said CFO Teuvo Rintamäki.

The new subsidiary KCI Special Cranes Oy accounts for approximately 20% of the
Group's balance sheet and Consolidated Sales.

KCI Konecranes. A world leading engineering group specialising in advanced
overhead lifting solutions and maintenance services. KCI Konecranes is the
world's leading supplier of heavy-duty cranes for process industries and a global
supplier of special cranes for harbours and shipyards. In 2003, Group sales
totalled EUR 665 million with 4350 employees in 34 countries all over the world.

KCI KONECRANES PLC


Franciska Janzon
IR Manager




FURTHER INFORMATION
KCI Konecranes Plc
Teuvo Rintamäki, Chief Financial Officer, tel. +358-20 427 2040




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