Atria Oyj - Company Announcement

Atria invests in the Kauhajoki bovine slaughterhouse and begins co-operation in bovine slaughtering in Eastern Finland with Saarioinen

Seinäjoki, Finland, 2011-01-26 08:00 CET (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Atria Plc  
Company Announcement, 26 January 2011 at 9.00 am 


Atria invests approximately  26 million euros in building and renovating the
Kauhajoki bovine slaughterhouse and cutting plant. New production facilities
will be built in Kauhajoki, and the existing production facilities will be
renovated and automated using the latest production technology. Atria will also
buy the shares of Kauhajoen Teurastamokiinteistöt Oy (Kauhajoki slaughterhouse
property) from Itikka Co-operative. The purchase price is approximately EUR 7
million. 

At the same time, a programme to increase the efficiency of bovine slaughter
and cutting operations and bring down the excess capacity in slaughtering is
launched. Bovine slaughtering and cutting at the Kuopio facility will be
transferred to the Kauhajoki slaughterhouse. Modern slaughtering and cutting
capacity is being constructed in Kauhajoki. It will be completed by the end of
2012.Atria's bovine slaughterhouses are getting technologically outdated, and
significant investments in machinery and the premises are required to improve
efficiency. 

The annual cost savings from the efficiency improvement programme are estimated
at EUR 6 million. 

Atria has negotiated with Saarioinen Oy a co-operation contract on the
slaughtering of cattle located in Eastern Finland at Saarioinen's Jyväskylä
slaughterhouse. 

The employer-employee negotiations with the Kuopio personnel have been
completed.Carrying out the efficiency improvement programme means the reduction
of approximately 120 man-years by the end of 2012.An agreement has been made
with the personnel in the employer-employee negotiations about a support
package from Atria to those who are left without work in the efficiency
improvement programme. The personnel of the Kuopio bovine slaughterhouse will
be offered for example the chance to relocate to other Atria facilities. 

For further information, please contact Matti Tikkakoski, President and CEO,
tel. +358 50 2582. 

ATRIA PLC
Matti Tikkakoski
President and CEO



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