Metsä Group plans to close operations of Kaskinen upgrading and distribution unit

Metsä Group Press Release 12 August 2013


Metsä Wood, part of Metsä Group, plans to close down the operations of the upgrading and distribution unit in Kaskinen, Finland. The operations of the unit have long been unprofitable despite numerous measures to enhance efficiency. The plan is to cease the operations of the upgrading and distribution unit by the end of 2013, after statutory labour negotiations with the personnel.

The statutory labour negotiations concerning the possible closure will start on 19 August 2013 and are expected to be concluded by the end of October 2013. The negotiations will concern the personnel of the upgrading and distribution unit in Kaskinen and Finnish upgrade sales and related support functions, a total of approximately 80 people. The planned personnel reduction is 60 persons at the maximum.

The upgrading and distribution unit in Kaskinen produces upgraded sawn timber products for the Finnish market. The possible closure will have no impact on Thermowood manufacturing in Kaskinen or the operation of the Kolho impregnation plant. The possible closure has no impact on Metsä Wood’s upgrading business in the United Kingdom and France.


METSÄ GROUP
Group Communications

For further information, please contact:
Esa Kaikkonen, Executive Vice President, Metsä Wood, tel. +358 10 469 4749
Olga van Iterson, Marketing and Communication Manager, Metsä Wood, tel. +358 50 325 2376


www.metsagroup.com

Metsä Group is a responsible forest industry group whose products’ main raw material is renewable and sustainably grown Nordic wood. Metsä Group focuses on tissue and cooking papers, consumer packaging paperboards, pulp, wood products, and wood supply and forest services. Its high-quality products combine renewable raw materials, customer-orientation, sustainable development and innovation. Metsä Group’s sales totalled EUR 5.0 billion in 2012, and it employs approximately 11,500 people. The Group operates in some 30 countries. Metsäliitto Cooperative is the parent company of Metsä Group and is owned by approximately 125,000 Finnish forest owners.

www.metsawood.com

Metsä Wood offers competitive and eco-efficient wood-based solutions for industrial construction customers, other industrial customers and the home and lifestyle sectors. We manufacture products from Nordic wood, a sustainable raw material of premium quality. Our sales were EUR 904 million in 2012, and we employ about 2,700 people.