Ahlstrom - Company Announcement

Ahlstrom signs new EUR 200 million medium term financing agreement

Ahlstrom Corporation STOCK EXCHANGE RELEASE 15.7.2009


Ahlstrom Corporation, a leading manufacturer of specialty papers and
nonwovens, has today entered into a multicurrency revolving credit
facility agreement for the amount of EUR 200 million with six
relationship banks. The new credit facility replaces an existing
corresponding revolving credit facility expiring in November this
year and is available for general corporate purposes and refinancing
of the existing credit facility.

The new facility has a maturity of three years. The terms and
conditions of the facility agreement contain customary covenants and
undertakings including the requirement to maintain certain net debt
to equity ratios. Dividend payments and other distributions to
shareholders will also be restricted. As a result of these
restrictions dividend payments and other distributions will be
subject to an equity injection, or the issuance of other instruments
treated as equity under IFRS or other agreed subordinated debt
instruments sufficient for Ahlstrom to reduce its net debt to equity
ratio by approximately 20 percentage points as calculated based on
the company's balance sheet at the end of the first quarter of
2009, as well as to sufficient cash flow. The restrictions do not
apply to dividends that become payable under law (minority dividend).

In the transaction, Nordea, Pohjola Bank and Skandinaviska Enskilda
Banken (SEB) acted as mandated lead arrangers and bookrunners. The
other participants are DnB NORD and Sampo Bank as arrangers and BNP
Paribas as co-arranger. Nordea acted as coordinator of the credit
facility, SEB as documentation agent and Pohjola Bank acts as
facility agent.

Additionally, Ahlstrom has raised new medium term debt of EUR 55
million during the first half of 2009. Together with the new EUR 200
million revolving credit facility, this improves Ahlstrom's debt
maturity profile.

Ahlstrom Corporation
Jan Lång
President & CEO

For further information, please contact:

Seppo Parvi
CFO
Tel. +358 10 888 4768


Distribution:
NASDAQ OMX Helsinki
Main media
www.ahlstrom.com


Ahlstrom in brief

Ahlstrom is a global leader in the development, manufacture and
marketing of high performance fiber-based materials. Nonwovens and
specialty papers, made by Ahlstrom, are used in a large variety of
everyday products, such as filters, wipes, flooring, labels, and
tapes. Based upon its unique fiber expertise and innovative approach,
the company has a strong market position in several business areas in
which it operates. Ahlstrom's 6,100 employees serve customers via
sales offices and production facilities in more than 20 countries on
six continents. In 2008, Ahlstrom's net sales amounted to EUR 1.8
billion. Ahlstrom's share is quoted on the NASDAQ OMX Helsinki. The
company website is at www.ahlstrom.com.