Metsäliitto Group Changes Name to Metsä Group

Metsäliitto Group, Finland, has changed its name to Metsä Group and adopted a new corporate identity. The names of Metsä Group’s business areas change as well. The new names and a new identity represent the final stage of a restructuring based on the Group’s strategy.

The unified Metsä Group is focused on five core businesses: wood products, pulp, board, tissue and cooking papers, and wood supply and forest services. The name of Metsä Tissue remains unchanged. Metsäliitto Wood Products Industry, internationally Finnforest, becomes Metsä Wood, and Metsä-Botnia becomes Metsä Fibre. On March 28, the annual general meeting of M-real Corp., Finland, will make a decision on a proposition to change the company’s business name to Metsä Board Corp. The wood supply operations will be known as Metsäliitto Puunhankinta in Finland and as Metsä Forest in other countries.

The new corporate identity does not affect the structure of the Group or the legal status of the companies. The name of Metsä Group’s parent company, Metsäliitto Cooperative, does not change and it continues to be a cooperative.

"Our restructuring initiated in 2005 is now finalized and we are well positioned for the future. This is the right time to strengthen our operations as a unified group. Competitiveness requires closer collaboration and lower boundaries between businesses. It also requires sharing best practices and making use of them," said Kari Jordan, president and CEO of Metsä Group.

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