Metsäliitto Osuuskunta - Company Announcement

Metsäliitto Group harmonises its corporate identity and becomes Metsä Group

Metsäliitto Group Stock Exchange Release 9 February 2012 at 10 a.m. EET


Metsäliitto Group changes its name to Metsä Group and adopts a new corporate
identity. The names of Metsä Group's business areas change as well. The new
names and the new identity represent the final stage in a profound
restructuring based on the Group's strategy. The purpose of the process has
been to create a unified and competitive forest industry group. 

The name Metsä clearly integrates all business areas into a unified Metsä
Group. The Group focuses on five core businesses: wood products, pulp, board,
tissue and cooking papers, and wood supply and forest services. Metsäliitto
Wood Products Industry, internationally Finnforest, is now Metsä Wood, and
Metsä-Botnia becomes Metsä Fibre. On 28 March 2012, the Annual General Meeting
of M-real Corporation will make a decision on a proposition to change the
company's business name into Metsä Board Corporation. The name of Metsä Tissue
remains unchanged. The wood supply operations will be known as Metsäliitto
Puunhankinta in Finland and as Metsä Forest in other countries. 

The new corporate identity does not affect the structure of the Group or the
legal status of the companies. The name of Metsä Group's parent company,
Metsäliitto Cooperative, does not change and it continues to be a cooperative. 

“Our restructuring initiated in 2005 is now finalised and we are well
positioned for the future. This is the right time to strengthen our operations
as a unified group. Competitiveness requires closer collaboration and lower
boundaries between businesses. It also requires sharing best practices and
making use of them,” says Kari Jordan, President and CEO of Metsä Group. 

The new logo - a moose head nobly carrying a forest in its antlers and the word
Metsä, a Finnish word for forest - and the new corporate identity communicate
that Metsä Group is a responsible and renewing forest industry company that
respects its roots and is stronger than before. Its products and services
contribute to the everyday well-being of people. 

“Metsä Group is a genuine forest industry company. Our company is owned by
forest owners, which brings a long-term approach to our operations. Our main
raw material is renewable wood grown in sustainable Nordic forests. We have the
lightest and most ecological boards, top-quality pulps, successful product
brands in tissue and cooking papers and top know-how in the wood products
industry. We have a great story to tell,” explains Jordan. 


METSÄ GROUP
Group Communications


For further information, please contact:
Kari Jordan, President and CEO, Metsä Group, tel. +358 10 4601
Anu Salonsaari-Posti, Vice President, Group Communications, tel. +358 50 453
4262 


Metsä Group will publish its financial statements for 2011 today, 9 February
2012 at 12 noon. The statements will be published in accordance with the old
company names under Metsäliitto Group. 

President and CEO Kari Jordan will present the new corporate identity at the
press conference regarding Metsä Group's financial statements today, 9 February
2012 at 1.00 p.m. at conference center Bank's Wall Street, Unioninkatu 22,
Helsinki. (Please sign up by contacting Terhi Kylänlahti at Group
Communications, tel. +358 1046 54202.) 

You can download the new Metsä Group logo at:
http://databank.metsaliitto.com/?cart=55-ijdgeldidi&l=EN 

You can learn more about Metsä Group's new corporate image at
http://newmetsa.metsagroup.com. Metsä Group's renewed website will be launched
on 10 February 2012. 


Metsä Group is a responsible forest industry group whose products are part of
people's everyday life and promote sustainable well-being. Metsä Group produces
top quality products from its main raw material, the renewable Nordic wood. The
Group's business areas are tissue and cooking papers, board, pulp, wood
products as well as wood supply. Metsä Group's sales totalled EUR 5.4 billion
in 2010, and it employs approximately 13,000 people. The Group operates in some
30 countries.