News Article

Metso to expand boiler service business in the USA

January 8, 2008

Metso Power, a part of Metso Paper business area, will expand its boiler service capacity in the USA with a EUR 10 million ($13.5 million USD) investment. The investment is a part of Metso's profitable growth strategy. It supports Metso Power’s service business growth and will increase its portfolio of service offerings to the North American pulp and paper and power generation market.

Metso Power is pleased to announce it is proceeding with building a new service center facility in the Lancaster Business Park in Lancaster SC. The Keith Corp. of Charlotte is developing and leasing the facility to Metso.

Today's announcement is another sign that our efforts to strengthen the state's economic soil conditions are working to promote industry growth and attract new investment. We remain committed to continuing these efforts to further enhance South Carolina's business climate and keep creating jobs and opportunity throughout the state, said Gov. Mark Sanford.

"Lancaster County is looking forward to a long and prosperous business relationship with Metso Power. Quality companies like Metso that offer great manufacturing jobs with great pay and benefits are the backbone of this country and we are excited that Metso chose Lancaster for their new manufacturing facility. We welcome Metso and know that our citizens will prove to be outstanding employees for the company." Said Lancaster County Council Chairman Rudy Carter.

This new modern boiler service center will allow Metso Power to better serve its existing and future customers.

The 100,000 sq ft facility on a 21.5 acre site is designed to expand. The new boiler service center is expected to be operational by the end of the second quarter 2008, and will employ 50 people to start.

In addition, Metso Power is expanding their existing Fairmont Service Center with a new machining center in West Virginia. The current center employs about 50 people.

Metso Power is a forerunner in fluidized bed combustion of biomass, coal and other fuels to power plants, and a global leader in chemical recovery systems to pulp and paper mills.

The products are fluidized bed boilers (CFB's and BFB's), and recovery boilers, oil and gas boilers, evaporators, environmental systems and service.

Metso Power has designed and manufactured the world's largest biomass-fired boilers and recovery units, with main operations in Finland, Sweden, USA and Brazil, and it employs 1600 professionals worldwide.

The USA Metso Power headquarters is in Charlotte NC and located within 25 miles of the new Lancaster Service Center. Metso is a global engineering and technology corporation with 2006 net sales of approximately EUR 5 billion. Its more than 26,000 employees in more than 50 countries serve customers in the pulp and paper industry, rock and minerals processing, the energy industry and selected other industries.

www.metso.com