Metsä Group’s Wood Products Industry launches a EUR 100 million investment programme
Metsä Group Stock Exchange Release 8 June 2016 at 11.30 EET
Metsä Wood, the Wood Products Industry of Metsä Group, launches an investment programme in its Kerto® LVL and plywood operations as part of its industrial efficiency strategy. Thanks to the programme, planned to be implemented in steps by the end of 2018, the company is able to better meet the globally growing demand for its products and improve its competitiveness. The programme includes a total of EUR 100 million investments in Finland and Estonia.
A new birch veneer peeling and drying line is planned to be built in Äänekoski to the Metsä Group’s Pulp and Paperboard Industries’ mill site. This veneer production is planned to be processed in a new plywood mill to be constructed in Estonia. Suolahti mill’s current birch veneer line is planned to be transferred to Estonia. The total annual birch plywood production volume would increase by approximately 30,000 cubic meters.
Production of a new softwood based speciality product with an annual volume of approximately 60,000 cubic meters is planned to be established at the Suolahti mill. The final investment decision will be made at a later stage.
The annual production capacity of the Kerto® LVL mill in Lohja is planned to be increased by 20,000 cubic meters by replacing two oldest production lines with one new line. The increased capacity combined with the higher product quality enables strengthening of Metsä Wood’s position especially in markets outside Europe.
”These are major steps for Metsä Wood to grow and further improve cost competitiveness. Demand for birch plywood is increasing especially in the light transport industry. In Kerto® LVL business more capacity is needed to continue growth in North America, in particular. Thanks to the investment programme a notable result improvement will be achieved, fully from 2019 onwards,” says Esa Kaikkonen, Executive Vice President, Metsä Wood.
Approximately half of the EUR 100 million investments will be allocated to Finland. Annual saw log consumption is expected to increase by almost 300,000 cubic meters.
The investment programme is not expected to impact the total amount of Metsä Wood’s mill personnel in Finland. Potential mill-specific personnel implications will follow the statutory labour negotiation process. Considering the changes in wood harvesting and logistics, the increase in employment in Finland is expected to be approximately 100 person-years in total. About 200 new jobs are expected to be created in Estonia.
METSÄ GROUP
For further information, please contact:
Esa Kaikkonen, Executive Vice President, Metsä Wood, tel. +358 10 469 4749
Juha Laine, Senior Vice President, Communications, Metsä Group, tel. +358 10 465 4541
www.metsagroup.com
Metsä Group is a forerunner in bioeconomy utilising renewable wood from sustainably managed northern forests. Metsä Group focuses on wood supply and forest services, wood products, pulp, fresh forest fibre paperboards and tissue and cooking papers. Metsä Group’s sales totalled EUR 5.0 billion in 2015, and it employs approximately 9,600 people. The Group operates in some 30 countries. Metsäliitto Cooperative is the parent company of Metsä Group and owned by approximately 116,000 Finnish forest owners.
www.metsawood.com
Metsä Wood provides competitive and environmentally friendly wood products for construction, industrial customers and distributor partners. Metsä Wood manufactures products from northern wood, a sustainable raw material of premium quality. Metsä Wood's sales in 2015 were EUR 0.9 billion, and the company employs about 2,000 people. Metsä Wood is part of Metsä Group.
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