Metso further strengthens presence in China: Guangzhou Service Center stone laying celebrated

Published Dec 18, 2007 16.00.00 +2 GMT

A foundation stone laying ceremony was held at Metso Paper’s new Guangzhou Service Center in Guangdong, China, on December 18th. The new greenfield Service Center, which will provide advanced services to the pulp and paper industry in Southern China, will be operational in late 2008. Metso's investment in the new center will total over EUR 10 million.

Metso's Guangzhou Service Center will feature a fully-equipped roll service workshop capable of supplying rolls, roll covers and mechanical roll maintenance services for all makes and sizes of pulp and paper machinery. The center will also offer a comprehensive range of spare parts and mill site services.

The establishment of the Guangzhou Service Center is a natural continuation of Metso's commitment to serving the Chinese pulp and paper industry locally. In keeping with this commitment, Metso Paper has been steadily strengthening its local service operations in China. Metso Paper opened its first Service Center in the city of Wuxi in Jiangsu Province in 2001. The Wuxi Service Center has recently doubled its roll service capacity with a new extension, which will be officially inaugurated in March 2008.

In 2003 Metso Paper established a logistics center in Wai Gao Qiao, Shanghai, to support the timely delivery of spare parts and consumables.

The Chinese pulp and paper industry has made substantial investments in new machinery and technology over the past ten years. Metso Paper has been involved in many of these projects and is currently the industry's leading technology supplier.

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

For more information: Xie Daorong, General Manager, China, Metso Paper, Inc, Service Tel. +86 510 8522 5939 Mobile +86 139 515 80902 daorong.xie@metso.com