The expansion of Ahlstrom Glassfibre's Mikkeli plant completed

Ahlstrom Corporation PRESS RELEASE 24.11.2006

 

Ahlstrom, a global leader in high performance fiber-based materials, has expanded the production capacity of its Mikkeli plant in Finland. An additional building of approximately 6 000 m2 has been built next to the current plant. The EUR 5 million investment consists of an additional building and new machinery.

 

The Mikkeli plant manufactures glassfiber products for composite industry, the major end users being wind energy, marine, sports equipment, and transport vehicle industries. 95% of the plant's production is exported, mainly to European countries. Ahlstrom is one of the leading specialty glassfiber reinforcement suppliers globally.

 

Ahlstrom has significantly increased the production capacity of Mikkeli plant during 2005-2006. The expansion, together with improved production efficiency, enables Ahlstrom to further increase the production capacity by up to 50% within the next few years. In addition to new machinery, the new building includes storage capacity for raw materials and finished goods, which is expected to bring cost savings. The maintenance area, staff rooms, and conference rooms will also be renovated within the next few months.

 

"In recent years, we have been able to strengthen our global market share as a specialty reinforcement supplier, especially in wind energy and marine industries. Our target is to continue profitable growth at a rate that exceeds the market average. The investment in Mikkeli will support this objective", says Tommi Björnman, Senior Vice President, Glass Nonwovens.

 

The Mikkeli plant is part of Ahlstrom's Glass Nonwovens business area which belongs to the company's FiberComposites segment.

 

Tommi Björnman, Senior Vice President, Glass Nonwovens, +358 50 526 1607, tommi.bjornman@ahlstrom.com or

Dan Jönsas, General Manager, Ahlstrom Glassfibre Ltd, + 358 50 549 0916, dan.jonsas@ahlstrom.com

 

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Ahlstrom is a global leader in the development, manufacture and marketing of high performance fiber-based materials. Nonwovens and specialty papers, made by Ahlstrom, are used in a large variety of everyday products, e.g. in filters, wipes, flooring, labels, and tapes. The company has a strong market position in several business areas in which it operates, built upon the company's unique fiber expertise and innovative approach. Ahlstrom's 5,700 employees serve customers via sales offices and production facilities in more than 20 countries on six continents. In 2005, Ahlstrom's net sales amounted to EUR 1.55 billion. Ahlstrom's share is listed on the Helsinki Stock Exchange. The company website is www.ahlstrom.com.