FINLAND (News release) -- Metsä Wood and construction company SRV have signed an agreement for the construction of Metsä Wood's new Kerto LVL mill in Äänekoski, Finland. SRV will be the main contractor for the project, which will be carried out as a cooperative project management contract. Preparations for construction will begin immediately.

Metsä Wood decided to build a new Kerto LVL mill in June, and preparatory work at the mill site has progressed as planned. The employment impact of the construction phase of the project is estimated to be around 1,000 person-years. When completed, the mill will employ around 150 people directly and 200 people in its direct value chain. The mill is expected to start production in the second half of 2026. The mill will have an annual production capacity of about 160, 000 m3, which represents a 50% increase in the company's total Kerto LVL capacity.

"The Äänekoski Kerto LVL mill will be carried out using a modern cooperative model, which is clearly becoming more common in industrial projects due to its advantages. During the development phase, we planned and coordinated the project in good and close cooperation with the client, and are now ready to launch the implementation phase," says SVP Hannu Lokka, responsible for SRV's regional units.

Metsä Wood is one of Europe's leading manufacturers of engineered wood products. Its main products are Kerto LVL, birch and spruce plywood and further processed sawn timber. Metsä Wood is part of Metsä Group.