Holmen Part-Owner in French Recovered Paper Company


STOCKHOLM, Sweden, May 21, 2003 (PRIMEZONE) -- Holmen (LSE:HOLMbq) has acquired 38 per cent of Llau Redmat, a French recovered paper company. The purchase-sum is some EUR 3 million.

The acquisition is strategic, as it reinforces the supply of raw material to Holmen's Spanish newsprint mill, Papelera Peninsular, where production is based exclusively on recovered paper.

Holmen is already part-owner in recovered paper companies in Spain and Portugal.

Llau Redmat has operations in southern France, which, together with the Iberian Peninsula, is the natural market for purchasing the recovered paper used by Papelera Peninsular.

Papelera Peninsular was acquired by Holmen in 2000. The mill has a capacity of 170,000 tonnes a year and approximately 225 employees.

For further information please contact Christer Lewell, Holmen's Group Public Relations Director. Tel. +46 8 666 21 15.

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