The Finnish UPM-Kymmene Aims to Increase Productivity and Thereby Achieve Growth

As a result of the restructuring announced on 6 August, the Finnish UPM-Kymmene aims to increase productivity and thereby achieve growth in concern profits of €400m. In the new structure, which is to become effective from 1 November, the concern will be made up of the divisions Biorefining, Energy, Raflatac, Paper Asia, Paper Europe and Plywood. The Biorefining division will incorporate not only wood-energy business but also the pulp and lumber sectors and boast four sawmills in Finland and one in Austria, four pulp mills in Finland and Uruguay, as well as a biodiesel plant currently under construction in Lappeenranta in Finland. Heikki Vappula has been appointed as executive vice president of the division. Lumber business has until now been merged with the forestry-management section of the Forest und Timber division. The present Forests and Wood Procurement division will be integrated into the Other Operations division.