Rautaruukki - Company Announcement

Rautaruukki to make its steel business more efficient: manufacture of steel products to be merged with Ruukki Metals

Rautaruukki Corporation  Stock exchange release  8 January 2009 at 9:00 

Rautaruukki to make its steel business more efficient: manufacture of steel
products to be merged with Ruukki Metals 

Rautaruukki's steel product manufacturing division, Ruukki Production, is to
merge with Ruukki Metals as of 1 February 2009. The merger will streamline the
corporate structure, which in future will comprise two divisions - Ruukki
Construction and Ruukki Engineering - specialising in the solutions business
and Ruukki Metals division, which will become the new focus of the steel
business. Segment reporting within Rautaruukki will remain unchanged. 

-Merging the large production works, tube works and service centres forming the
steel business into a new seamless entity will enable us to improve the
flexibility and efficiency of the steel business. The aim is a clear
improvement in delivery accuracy and customer service. The removal of
overlapping functions will also mean more efficient use of resources and
capital, and improve cost efficiency, says Sakari Tamminen, President & CEO of
Rautaruukki Corporation. 

Olavi Huhtala, who is currently President of Ruukki Metals, has been appointed
to head the new division resulting from the merger. He has served Rautaruukki
in a number of executive positions since 1987. With effect from 1 February
2009, Ruukki Metals' management board will comprise: Olavi Huhtala, President
of the division; Kari Lehtinen, Senior Vice President, Sales; Sakari Kallo,
Senior Vice Presi-dent, Production; Pekka Kangas, Senior Vice President, Supply
Chain Management and Riku Mäkinen, Senior Vice President, Finance and
Controlling. 

Under the terms of his contract, Heikki Rusila, who is currently president of
Ruukki Production, will retire in late 2009. As of 1 February 2009, Heikki
Rusila will serve as senior adviser to management, with responsibility for
investment services, energy and environmental matters and corporate-wide safety
development and related improvements. Rusila reports to President & CEO Sakari
Tamminen. 

As of 1 February 2009, Rautaruukki's Corporate Management Board will comprise:
Sakari Tamminen (chairman), President & CEO; Mikko Hietanen, CFO and deputy to
the President & CEO; Saku Sipola, President, Ruukki Construction; Tommi
Matomäki, President, Ruukki Engineering; Olavi Huhtala, President, Ruukki
Metals and Marko Somerma, Chief Strategy Officer. 



For further information, please contact: 
Sakari Tamminen, President & CEO, tel. +358 20 592 9075


Rautaruukki Corporation

Anne Pirilä
SVP, Corporate Communications and Investor Relations

Rautaruukki supplies metal-based components, systems and integrated systems to
the construction and engineering industries. The company has a wide selection
of metal products and services. Rautaruukki has operations in 26 countries and
employs 15,000 people. Net sales in 2007 totalled EUR 3.9 billion. The
company's share is quoted on NASDAQ OMX Helsinki (Rautaruukki Oyj: RTRKS). The
Corporation uses the marketing name Ruukki. 

www.ruukki.com



DISTRIBUTION:
NASDAQ OMX Helsinki
Main media
www.ruukki.com