Metso Paper to open a service technology center in Brazil

Published Oct 15, 2002 08.02.00 +2 GMT

Metso Paper will open a service technology center in Brazil early next year. The center, to be located at Metso Corporation's joint premises in Sorocaba, São Paulo, will serve the needs of the pulp and paper industry in Brazil and in other Latin American countries.

The establishment of the Sorocaba center is a logical follow-on from Metso Paper's strategy to move close to the customers in order to serve them better. During recent years, the company has established similar centers in Thailand, Australia, China, the United States and Europe.

The scope of services to be offered by the Sorocaba center will extend from spare parts and consumables to comprehensive process improvement projects and service agreements. In addition to supplying maintenance services, the center will also provide local support for new production line deliveries and rebuilds in South America. As such, it will play an important role in implementing the Metso Future Care concept, whose goal is to maintain the competitiveness of customer processes throughout their lifecycles.

The Sorocaba center will have a modern roll service workshop with 3,800 m2 of floor space. It will be capable of servicing the largest paper machine rolls in use. With a crane-lifting capacity of 120 tons, it will be well-equipped to handle the growing future demands of the industry, too. The center will have facilities for spare parts operations, testing and customer training.

The Latin American pulp and paper industry is systematically pursuing a policy that promises to make it a key player globally. It has recently made several bold decisions to invest in the most modern pulp and papermaking processes, and this trend seems likely to continue. By establishing a service technology center, Metso Paper, one of the largest suppliers to this industry, is clearly signaling its commitment to serving its customers in South America.

The considerable investments being made in infrastructure development in Brazil offer good growth opportunities for Metso. Recently, the country's pulp and paper industry has not only been modernizing, but also increasing, its production capacity. Metso Paper has so far been selected as the supplier of a pulping line and drying machine for Votorantim in Jacarei, wood handling systems for Riocell and Jari, a bleaching plant for Suzano in Suzano, and several coating machines and coating color kitchens for Klabin in Monte Alegre, Suzano, Ripasa and VCP Piracicapa. Metso Automation has delivered process automation and paper quality management systems to numerous Brazilian customers.

Recent orders from other South American countries include a fiberline rebuild for CMPC in Facifico and a pulping line for Arauco in Valdivia in Chile.

Metso Corporation employs about 1,500 people in South America. Metso has concentrated its main Brazilian operations in Sorocaba, where Metso Minerals, Metso Paper and Metso Automation are located. The new Brazilian service technology center is part of the Metso Paper Service product group which employs 2,800 people in 41 service centers around the world.

Metso Corporation is a global supplier of process industry machinery and systems. The Corporation's fiber and paper technology business area, Metso Paper, is the world's leading supplier of technology, systems and equipment for the pulp, paper, converting and panelboard industries. Metso's other core businesses are divided between Metso Minerals (rock and mineral processing) and Metso Automation (automation and control technology). In 2000, the net sales of Metso Corporation were EUR 3.9 billion, and the personnel totaled approximately 22,000. Metso Corporation is listed on the Helsinki and New York Stock Exchanges.

More information: Mauri Rukajärvi, Area President, Metso Paper Service, South America Tel. +55 15 3235 9801 or +55 19 9604 2659