Viken Skog to Acquire Norske Skog's Follum Mill Site
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Norway-based Viken Skog has agreed to acquire Norske Skog's (Lysaker, Norway) Follum, Norway, mill site. Viken Skog reportedly has "ambitious, future plans" for the Follum site.
After the decision to close the mill at Follum, Norske Skog says it worked to find relevant stakeholders to create new activities on the site. Norske Skog considers it a good solution that others can now take over the further development.
"Norske Skog is very pleased that Viken Skog will now take over the work to create new activities at Follum. It has been important for us to find a buyer with ambitions for the future, with support from the Buskerud County Council, Ringerike Municipality Council, and regional businesses, and not least from the trade unions at Follum. I wish Viken Skog and the Ringerike region luck with the exciting development work," says Norske Skog President and CEO Sven Ombudstvedt.
As Norske Skog explains, Viken Skog will develop a new, future-oriented forest-based industry cluster at Follum. The location and the existing infrastructure, in the heart of Norway's richest forest areas, make Follum a natural center for an offensive strategy. It will be a milestone for the Ringerike region that Follum will now become a center for sustainable development of environmentally friendly products from the forest. "We have had good cooperation with the Ministry of Trade and Industry in the process of forging our long-term industrial plans. We now expect the government to implement measures to promote innovation and research in forest-based industries, to contribute to the huge effort we now face," said Managing Director Ragnhild Borchgrevink.
The net sales proceeds are in the order of NOK 60 million. The acquisition will take place in the second quarter of this year, and includes Norske Skog Follum AS and Follum Industripark AS, as well as all properties related to the mill site, including Årbogen. Norske Skog will disassemble and retain parts of the technical production equipment, discontinuing production at Follum on Friday, March 30.
Sale of the Follum site will generate a total accounting gain in the order of NOK 30 million, according to Norske Skogn. This will be recognized in the first quarter of this year.
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