FINLAND (News release) -- Metsä Group's Kerto LVL mill project in Äänekoski, Finland is progressing as planned and the foundation stone of the mill was laid today, 24 November 2023. The mill will have an annual production capacity of about 160,000 cubic metres of Kerto LVL and is expected to start production in the second half of 2026.

The foundation stone for the future wood product mill was laid by Member of Parliament Timo Harakka, Metsä Wood's Executive Vice President Jaakko Anttila, SRV's Chief Executive Officer Saku Sipola, and Metsä Wood's Project Director Eero Lampola. In addition, the Mayor of City of Äänekoski Matti Tuononen gave his greetings at the event.

At the masonry ceremony, newspapers of the day, the charter, valid Finnish coins, plans of the mill, a Kerto LVL beam, and a Kerto LVL handbook were deposited in the foundation stone time capsule as a memento of this era for future generations.

The construction site is progressing well on schedule. Land construction works are currently underway in the area. The massive building is divided into six different sections, where work is progressing in stages. In section 1, the main frame installations have already been completed, while in sections 5 and 6 concrete works are still ongoing. Next, in section 1, the roof element installations will start. Currently, around 80 people work at the site, and the headcount will grow to 200 people.

The employment impact of the construction phase of the project is estimated to be around 1000 person-years. When completed, the mill will employ around 150 people directly and 200 people in its value chain.

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