Espoo, Finland 11 July 2014 -- Metsä Wood, the wood products business area of Metsä Group, has completed the statutory negotiations to shut down the Karihaara sawmill in Finland. The negotiations began in June. Production operations at the sawmill have been interrupted since May 2009 and all members of the staff have been temporarily laid off since June 2009. The statutory negotiations apply to the entire staff of the sawmill, a total of five persons. As the result of the negotiations, Metsä Wood has decided to shut down the Karihaara sawmill and to lay off five employees by the end of July 2014.

Metsä Group is a responsible forest industry group whose products’ main raw material is renewable and sustainably grown northern wood. Metsä Group focuses on tissue and cooking papers, consumer packaging paperboard, 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 4.9 billion in 2013, and it employs approximately 11,000 people. The Group operates in some 30 countries. Metsäliitto Cooperative is the parent company of Metsä Group and is owned by approximately 123,000 Finnish forest owners.

Metsä Wood provides competitive and environmentally friendly wood products for construction, industry and distributor partners. The products are manufactured from northern wood, a sustainable raw material of premium quality. Metsä Wood’s sales were EUR 897 million in 2013, and we employ approximately 2,500 people. Metsä Wood is part of Metsä Group.