Metso Completes Pacific Blade Acquisition

Metso, Finland, this week completed the acquisition of the coater, creping, and doctor blade business of Pacific International, a division of Pacific/Hoe Saw & Knife Co., located in Portland, Ore. USA. Metso notes that the acquisition allows it to enter a new services market that is currently not in its portfolio, namely coater and creping blades for pulp and paper machinery. It will also complement the company's technology offering with ceramic coated blades, making it a single source blade consumables provider. Pacific manufactures a complete line of wood products industry and paper products industry machinery and equipment. It has about 150 employees of which 17 currently work for the Pacific International division and will be relocated by Metso.

In Other Metso News
The company this week reduced personnel at its Pori, Finland, operations by a total of 80 persons, almost half of whom will be covered with pension arrangements. Some 32 employees will be affected by an actual lay-off. The reductions will begin immediately, according to legal terms of notice, and the duration and timing will depend on the workload. The temporary lay-off notice applied to all employees in the Pori unit, in total about 230 people, and the reduction notice to about 95 people. The reductions are part of Metso's efforts to streamline its Fiber business line's operations and cost structure, to improve its competitiveness in a changing business environment. Metso's units in Pori are part of the company's Fiber business line, specializing in machinery and related expert services for chemical pulping.

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