Ahlstrom Corporation's Annual General Meeting of Shareholders (AGM) was held today March 30, 2011.

Resolution on the distribution of profits

The AGM resolved to distribute a dividend of EUR 0.88 per share for the fiscal year that ended on December 31, 2010 from the retained earnings in accordance with the proposal of the Board of Directors. The dividend record date is April 4, 2011 and the pay date April 11, 2011. In addition, the AGM resolved to reserve EUR 100,000 to be used for donations at the discretion of the Board of Directors.

Approval of the Financial Statements

The AGM approved the financial statements and discharged the members of the Board of Directors and the President & CEO from liability for the fiscal year January 1-December 31, 2010.

Remuneration and election of the Board of Directors

The AGM confirmed the number of Board members to be seven. Thomas Ahlström, Sebastian Bondestam, Lori J. Cross, Anders Moberg and Peter Seligson were re-elected as members of the Board of Directors. Esa Ikäheimonen, born 1963, and Pertti Korhonen, born 1961, were elected as new members. The term of the Board of Directors will expire at the close of the next Annual General Meeting.

It was decided that the remuneration of the Board members be as follows:

Chairman                         EUR 84,000 per year

Vice Chairman                 EUR 63,000 per year

Members                          EUR 42,000 per year

In addition, the remuneration for attendance at Board meetings is EUR 1,500 per meeting for Board members residing outside Finland. As regards the permanent Board committees, the remuneration for attendance at committee meetings is EUR 1,500 per meeting. Travel expenses are reimbursed in accordance with the Company's travel policy.

Election and remuneration of the auditor

PricewaterhouseCoopers Oy was elected as Ahlstrom's auditor as recommended by the Audit Committee. PricewaterhouseCoopers Oy has designated Authorized Public Accountant Eero Suomela as the Responsible Auditor. The auditor's remuneration will be paid according to invoicing.

Authorizations to repurchase and distribute the Company's own shares as well as to accept them as pledge

The AGM authorized the Board of Directors to repurchase and distribute the Company's own shares as well as to accept them as pledge as proposed by the Board of Directors. The number of shares to be repurchased or accepted as pledge by virtue of the authorization shall not exceed 4,000,000 shares in the Company, yet always taking into account the limitations set forth in the Companies' Act as regards the maximum number of shares owned by or pledged to the Company or its subsidiaries. The shares may be repurchased only through public trading at the prevailing market price by using unrestricted shareholders' equity. The rules and guidelines of NASDAQ OMX Helsinki Oy and Euroclear Finland Ltd shall be followed in the repurchase.

The authorization includes the right for the Board of Directors to decide upon all other terms and conditions for the repurchase of the Company's own shares, or their acceptance as pledge, including the right to decide on the repurchase of the Company's own shares otherwise than in proportion to the shareholders' holdings in the Company.

By virtue of the authorization, the Board of Directors has the right to resolve to distribute a maximum of 4,000,000 own shares held by the Company. The Board of Directors was authorized to decide to whom and in which order the own shares will be distributed. The Board of Directors may decide on the distribution of the Company's own shares otherwise than in proportion to the existing pre-emptive right of shareholders to purchase the Company's own shares. The shares may be used e.g. as consideration in acquisitions and in other arrangements as well as to implement the Company's share-based incentive plans in the manner and to the extent decided by the Board of Directors. The Board of Directors has also the right to decide on the distribution of the shares in public trading for the purpose of financing possible acquisitions. The authorization also includes the right for the Board of Directors to resolve on the sale of the shares accepted as a pledge. The authorization includes the right for the Board of Directors to resolve upon all other terms and conditions for the distribution of the shares held by the Company.

The authorizations for the Board of Directors to repurchase the Company's own shares, to distribute them as well as to accept them as pledge are valid for 18 months from the close of the Annual General Meeting but will, however, expire at the close of the next Annual General Meeting, at the latest.

Decisions taken by the Board of Direcrors

After the AGM, the organization meeting of the Board of Directors elected Peter Seligson as Chairman and Pertti Korhonen as Vice Chairman of the Board.

The Board of Directors appointed three permanent committees. The members of the Audit Committee are Esa Ikäheimonen (Chairman), Thomas Ahlström and Sebastian Bondestam. The members of the Compensation Committee are Peter Seligson (Chairman), Lori J. Cross and Anders Moberg. Five persons were appointed as members of the Nomination Committee: Peter Seligson (Chairman), Pertti Korhonen and Anders Moberg as well as the non-board members Carl Ahlström and Risto Murto. The compostition of the Nomination Committee aims at increasing shareholder influence in nomination matters.

Mangers of North American pulp and paper facilities are invited to participate in a tour of mills and technology providers in Sweden in conjunction with the SPCI exhibition in May. The tour is organized by the Swedish Pulp & Paper Technology Group, the Embassy of Sweden and the Swedish Trade Council. The North American delegation will have an opportunity to exchange knowledge and experience new technologies and environmental aspects of pulp and paper manufacturing.

Running from May 15-20, the program includes mill visits in Sweden, technical presentations, business discussions and a visit to SPCI 2011 conference and exhibition in Stockholm.

Each delegate pays his/her return airfare to Stockholm, Sweden, while the expenses for the program in Sweden (lodging, local transportation and most meals) are courtesy of the Swedish Pulp & Paper Technology Group. Participation is on a first come - first served basis, with a total upper limit of 20 persons.

For questions and to obtain a formal invitation with registration form, please contact Magnus Andersson, Trade Commissioner for Sweden at 416 922 8152, or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

The Annual General Meeting of Metso Corporation approved today the Financial Statements for 2010 and decided to discharge the members of the Board of Directors and the President and CEO of Metso Corporation from liability for the financial year 2010. In addition, the Annual General Meeting approved the proposals of the Board of Directors to authorize the Board of Directors to resolve on a repurchase of company’s own shares and on a share issue.

The Annual General Meeting decided that a dividend of EUR 1.55 per share will be paid for the financial year which ended on December 31, 2010. The dividend will be paid to shareholders who on the record date April 4, 2011 have been registered as shareholders in the company’s shareholder register maintained by Euroclear Finland Ltd. The dividend will be paid on April 12, 2011.

Jukka Viinanen was elected Chairman of the Board and Maija-Liisa Friman was elected Vice Chairman of the Board. Ozey K. Horton, Jr. was elected as a new member of the Board. The Board members re-elected were Mikael von Frenckell, Christer Gardell, Yrjö Neuvo, Erkki Pehu-Lehtonen and Pia Rudengren. The term of office of Board members lasts until the end of the next Annual General Meeting.

The Annual General Meeting decided that the annual remunerations for Board members be EUR 92,000 for the Chairman, EUR 56,000 for the Vice Chairman and for the Chairman of the Audit Committee and EUR 45,000 for the members and that the meeting fee including committee meetings be EUR 600 for those members whose place of residence is in Nordic countries, EUR 1,200 for those members whose place of residence is elsewhere in Europe and EUR 2,400 for those members whose place of residence is outside of Europe for each meeting they attend. The Annual General Meeting decided that 40 percent of the annual remuneration be paid in company’s shares purchased from the market. The shares will be purchased directly on behalf of the members of the Board within two weeks from the release of the Interim Review January 1 −March 31, 2011.

The auditing company, Authorized Public Accountant PricewaterhouseCoopers Oy was re-elected to act as an Auditor of the Corporation until the end of the next Annual General Meeting.

The Annual General Meeting decided to establish a Nomination Board of the Annual General Meeting to prepare proposals for the following Annual General Meeting regarding the composition of the Board of Directors and director remuneration. Representatives of the four largest shareholders are elected to the Nomination Board and the Chairman of the Board of Directors shall be an expert member of the Nomination Board.

The minutes of the Annual General Meeting will be available on Metso’s website at www.metso.com as of April 13, 2011.

BASF and PETRONAS will commence a feasibility study for a new plant for superabsorbent polymers. The companies have also decided to look into the expansion of the existing production capacities of their joint venture BASF PETRONAS Chemicals Sdn Bhd.

“Our joint venture BASF PETRONAS Chemicals plays an important role for us in achieving our Asia Pacific Strategy for 2020. With this investment in high-growth specialty chemicals, we will position ourselves even better to serve our customers in Asia,” said Dr. Martin Brudermüller, Member of the Board of Executive Directors, BASF SE, responsible for Asia Pacific. “With this capacity expansion and extension into superabsorbent polymers we extract further potential of our acrylics value chain in BASF PETRONAS Chemicals.”

Datuk Wan Zulkiflee Wan Ariffin, Executive Vice President of Downstream Business, PETRONAS said, “The future of petrochemical industry will be shaped by changes in global mega-trends such as growing health awareness resulting in strong growth in demand for specialty chemicals including superabsorbent polymers for personal hygiene application. The success of our joint venture with BASF has provided us the confidence to look for further collaboration opportunities into higher value adding portfolio and position PETRONAS to be a key player in petrochemicals in the region.”

The new investment will be part of BASF PETRONAS Chemicals Sdn Bhd, founded by BASF and PETRONAS in 1997. The company currently operates an integrated complex situated at the Gebeng Industrial Zone, Pahang. The company’s share of capital is 60% held by BASF and 40% by PETRONAS with a total investment of about RM3.4 billion for production facilities for acrylic monomers, oxo products and butanediol.

Superabsorbent polymers are materials with the ability to absorb and retain large volumes of water and aqueous solutions. They are made from partially neutralised, lightly cross-linked poly acrylic acid and are the key ingredients in disposable diapers, feminine hygiene and adult incontinence products. They are also used in cable insulation, potting soils and professional compost mixes, food packaging, and medical waste disposal.

Metso will continue its collaboration with the WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature) by supporting the goals and activities related to the main theme of the WWF’s 50th anniversary, the Year of Forests. Metso and four other main collaboration partners support the WWF program aiming to stop global deforestation and to conserve the biodiversity of Finnish forests. The collaboration aims to diversify current forest management practices and to increase forest management methods that mimic the structural characteristics of natural forests.

The Year of Forests project aims to spark a dialogue about how companies and consumers alike can impact forest conservation and maintain forest diversity through the choices they make. Additionally, Metso is participating in a forum about the role of Finnish forests in the mitigation of climate change. Based on the dialogue, a discussion paper will be prepared that highlights the opportunities and challenges related to the role of Finnish forests in the mitigation of climate change and bioenergy production. The discussion paper will outline the different views on the direction of Finnish forest management with consideration also to the ecological, social and economic sustainability and their potential in the effective mitigation of climate change.

Metso and WWF have been collaboration partners for several years. During this time Metso has supported WWF’s Operation Mermaid campaign to save the Baltic Sea and the Naturewatch program related to environmental education for students.

Metso engages in collaboration and supports its collaboration partners’ projects in the areas of youth work, environment and nature conservation, as well as science, research and education. Our collaboration with universities is tight, and we aim to support also vocational training and youth work especially in emerging markets. For example, in Sorocaba, Brazil, we support a project that gives underprivileged youth vocational training in the metal sector. Already 360 young people have taken part in the training program that began in 1990. Additionally, Metso is a partner in the SOS Children’s Villages in Faridabad, India, and in Vereeniging and Rustenberg, South Africa.

Alfa Laval’s Annual Report for 2010 has today been published on the Group’s website. It can be downloaded from www.alfalaval.com.

About Alfa Laval

Alfa Laval is a leading global provider of specialized products and engineering solutions based on its key technologies of heat transfer, separation and fluid handling.

The company’s equipment, systems and services are dedicated to assisting customers in optimizing the performance of their processes. The solutions help them to heat, cool, separate and transport products in industries that produce food and beverages, chemicals and petrochemicals, pharmaceuticals, starch, sugar and ethanol.

Alfa Laval’s products are also used in power plants, aboard ships, in the mechanical engineering industry, in the mining industry and for wastewater treatment, as well as for comfort climate and refrigeration applications.

Alfa Laval’s worldwide organization works closely with customers in nearly 100 countries to help them stay ahead in the global arena.

Alfa Laval is listed on the Nordic Exchange, Nordic Large Cap, and, in 2010, posted annual sales of about SEK 24.7 billion (approx. 2.6 billion Euros). The company has some 12 600 employees.

Be in Beijing September 19-21 and be a part of the largest and most well-known pulp and paper event in China and Asia. Meet 6000 visitors from China and some further 60 countries at the 19th edition of China Paper/China Forest.

- This is a great opportunity for companies to have the entire Chinese market at their fingertips, says Patrik Löwstedt, Event Manager. - China is one of the most interesting and dynamic markets to explore and the demand for the latest products, services and technology is enormous.

The booking of stands is in full progress and all the leading industry actors have joined the show as exhibitors. Some 300 companies from 20 countries will exhibit at the China International Exhibition Center in Beijing in September.

China Paper/China Forest is organised by Adforum, in co-operation with E.J. Krause & Associates. The Chinese Pavilion is organised by CNPPRI.

Should you wish to exhibit, please click here for the latest floor plan of the International Pavilion (Halls 2 & 3) and here for the full floor plan including the Chinese Pavilion. Please contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. for further details.

For more information regarding the event, please see our invitation brochure as well as the official website www.chinapaperexpo.cn

Domtar Corporation has announced that, no later than July 1, 2011, it will permanently shut down one of four paper machines at its Ashdown, Arkansas pulp and paper mill. This will reduce Domtar's annual uncoated freesheet paper production capacity by approximately 125,000 short tons. The mill's workforce will be reduced by approximately 110 employees.

"Domtar is committed to keeping a balance between its supply and its customer demand. Because secular demand decline in North America continues, we must permanently reduce our uncoated freesheet paper production capacity," said John D. Williams, President and Chief Executive Officer of Domtar. "I want to thank affected employees for their efforts, and recognize all Domtar Ashdown mill employees for their hard work and continued focus on safety," added Mr. Williams.

Following the shutdown, the Ashdown mill will continue to operate three fiber lines, a pulp dryer and three paper machines, and employ approximately 940 people. The mill will have an annual production capacity of approximately 810,000 metric tons of pulp and approximately 780,000 short tons of paper.

The closure will result in an aggregate pre-tax charge to earnings of approximately $80 million, which includes an estimated $77 million in non-cash charges relating to the accelerated depreciation of the carrying amounts of manufacturing equipment and the write-off of related spare parts and $3million related to other costs. Of the estimated total pre-tax charge of approximately $80 million, $6million is expected to be recognized in the first quarter of 2011 and $74 million is expected to be incurred in the second quarter of 2011.

As part of the endorsement of forest certification systems, PEFC requires that schemes undergo a rigorous and independently verified re-endorsement process every 5 years. The Brazilian Forest Certification Programme (CERFLOR) is the latest PEFC member to achieve re-endorsement.

The standard setting process for the CERFLOR system was carried out at the national level by the Brazilian Association for Standardization (ABNT). PEFC is the only global certification system that requires all standards to be independently developed with the open participation of all interested stakeholders at national level in a consensus-driven decision-making process. This ensures that the standard best meets local requirements with local stakeholders taking ownership.

Unique in the world of forest certification, all national standards seeking PEFC endorsement are subject to a stringent endorsement process. This includes an independent assessment that verifies the compliance of standards derived through national processes with PEFC's Sustainability Benchmarks, a global public stakeholder consultation period, and a Panel of Expert review before all members vote on the endorsement.

"The re-endorsement of CERFLOR by PEFC is an important milestone for local stakeholders. In addition to confirming that the Brazilian standards are in compliance with PEFC's internationally recognized Sustainability Benchmarks, the endorsement secures continuing access to markets that increasingly demand PEFC-certified material," said Ben Gunneberg, PEFC International Secretary General. "More than fifty percent of all timber imported into the UK is PEFC-certified, and the most recent data available from the Netherlands suggests that the market share of sustainably produced timber has more than doubled between 2005 and 2008, with two-thirds certified to PEFC."

"Forest certification is becoming mainstream in many parts of the world, with PEFC Chain of Custody certification experiencing double-digits growth rates in more than two-thirds of all countries where PEFC is present. CERFLOR's international recognition through PEFC ensures that Brazilian forest owners that demonstrate compliance with and are certified to CERFLORs forest management requirements benefit from global demand for PEFC-certified timber. It also sends a strong signal for Brazilian companies exporting to global markets to obtain PEFC Chain of Custody certification."

CERFLOR is a voluntary programme developed with representatives from different stakeholders including producers, consumers, governments, NGO's and other organizations, such as universities and research institutions in Brazil. In achieving PEFC endorsement, the CERFLOR system, supported by the Brazilian Ministry of Development, Industry and Foreign Trade (MDIC) and the Ministry of the Environment (MMA), has demonstrated that it equals or surpasses all of the PEFC International Sustainability Benchmarks.

Bollsta sawmill invests mSEK 37 in log-sorting equipment. The investment comprises a log sorting-line with 80 boxes.

“With a new conveyor and as much as 80 boxes, we can fully utilise our new equipment for x-ray and 3D measuring of sawlogs”, says Katarina Levin, SCA’s sawmill manager in Bollstabruk. “We can sort our sawlogs with a higher precision, improve the yield and ensure we use the right raw material for the right product. We will also increase our log-sorting capacity and allow for a continued production increase at Bollsta sawmill.”

Last year Bollsta sawmill invested in new equipment for x-ray measuring of logs and for measuring of logs in three dimensions, and in other log-sorting equipment.

“Now we have state-of-the-art technology throughout our sawlog handling”, says Katarina Levin. “With this equipment we can fully utilise the high quality of our timber raw material. We will also have a smoother handling of the logs, so we reduce damages and wastage.”

The new investment will be carried out during the summer 2011.