Stora Enso plans to shut down one SC paper machine at Kvarnsveden Mill in Sweden

STORA ENSO OYJ INVESTOR NEWS 16 February 2017 at 10.00 EET

Stora Enso will start co-determination negotiations with employees at its Kvarnsveden Mill in Sweden regarding a plan to reorganise the mill, including a permanent closure of paper machine (PM) 8. The planned actions would affect a maximum of 140 employees. The paper machine has an annual capacity of 100 000 tonnes of super-calendered uncoated magazine paper (SC) and it is planned to be shut down by the end of the second quarter of 2017.

The plan would result in annual cost savings of EUR 12 million. Stora Enso will book restructuring charges of approximately EUR 17 million as an item affecting comparability (IAC) in its Q1/2017 results, of which about EUR 14 million will be cash costs. The planned closure would not have material impact on Stora Enso’s sales or operational EBIT.

“We plan to reorganise Kvarnsveden Mill to ensure its competitiveness in the structurally declining paper market. This plan includes the permanent shutdown of PM8, which, due to its small size and technical age, is unfortunately no longer competitive in the current market conditions. We appreciate the efforts taken by the employees, and regret that this plan would be necessary to support the competitiveness of Kvarnsveden Mill going forward,” says Kati ter Horst, EVP Paper division.

The closure of PM8 at Kvarnsveden Mill would not impact Stora Enso’s SC paper offering. In Europe, Stora Enso continues to produce SC paper at Kvarnsveden Mill PM12 as well at Maxau Mill in Germany and Langerbrugge Mill in Belgium. The group also serves its SC customers from Dawang Mill in China.

No decisions regarding the planned reorganisation or employee impact will be taken until the co-determination negotiations have been concluded. Production at Kvarnsveden Mill would continue on two lines, PM10 for improved newsprint paper and PM12 for SC papers.

For further information, please contact:
Ulrika Lilja, EVP, Communications, tel. +46 72 221 9228
Liisa Nyyssönen, SVP Communications, Paper division, tel. +358 40 544 3491

Investor enquiries:
Ulla Paajanen-Sainio, SVP, Investor Relations, tel. +358 40 763 8767

Stora Enso is a leading provider of renewable solutions in packaging, biomaterials, wooden constructions and paper on global markets. Our aim is to replace fossil based materials by innovating and developing new products and services based on wood and other renewable materials. We employ some 25 000 people in more than 35 countries, and our sales in 2016 were EUR 9.8 billion. Stora Enso shares are listed on Nasdaq Helsinki (STEAV, STERV) and Nasdaq Stockholm (STE A, STE R). In addition, the shares are traded in the USA as ADRs (SEOAY). storaenso.com

For further information, please contact:
Ulrika Lilja
EVP, Communications
tel. +46 72 221 9228

Liisa Nyyssönen
SVP Communications, Paper division
tel. +358 40 544 3491

Investor enquiries:
Ulla Paajanen-Sainio
SVP, Investor Relations
tel. +358 40 763 8767