STORA disposes of shares in Stora Spezialpapiere and Stora Carbonless Paper

STORA disposes of shares in Stora Spezialpapiere and Stora Carbonless Paper Negotiations between Stora Publication Paper AG, Düsseldorf, and Mitsubishi Paper Mills Ltd. and the Mitsubishi Corporation, both Tokyo, on a majority shareholding in Stora Carbonless Paper GmbH, Bielefeld, and Stora Spezialpapiere GmbH, Flensburg, are completed. The two Mitsubishi companies together will hold 76 percent of Stora Carbonless Paper GmbH and Stora Spezialpapiere GmbH. The participation will be effective as of 1 January 1999. In total Stora Spezialpapiere and Stora Carbonless Paper have around 900 employees and in 1997 achieved sales of about DM 450 million. Thermal papers, carbonless papers as well as cast coated papers were not part of the core business of the STORA Group. For Mitsubishi, in contrast, the participation will represent a major expansion in Europe and thus a strengthening of its global position as a manufacturer of special papers in the world market. For additional information, please contact: - Horst Thaler, President FPB Holding AG, phone +49-211 581-2830 - Isabelle Roth-Lindeck, Communications Manager, phone +49-211 581-2708 - Ingvar Petersson, First Executive Vice President, STORA, phone +46 23 782 488, +46 8 613 66 16 ------------------------------------------------------------ Please visit http://www.bit.se for further information The following files are available for download: http://www.bit.se/bitonline/1998/12/21/19981221BIT00100/bit0001.doc http://www.bit.se/bitonline/1998/12/21/19981221BIT00100/bit0002.pdf