Ahlstrom to invest in medical nonwovens production in India

Ahlstrom Corporation STOCK EXCHANGE RELEASE 13.12.2007

Ahlstrom, a global leader in high performance fiber-based materials, announced today that it will invest EUR 38 million in a new medical nonwovens plant utilizing spunmelt technology in India. The investment is in line with Ahlstrom's strategy to grow in the fast growing emerging markets.

The new plant will manufacture a full range of spunmelt fabrics with a main focus on the medical fabrics market and the site also enables future expansions of Ahlstrom businesses in India. The new facility, using state of the art nonwovens technology, will be located in the Mundra Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in the western state of Gujarat and is expected to start production by the end of 2009.

"The investment in India is again a step ahead in Ahlstrom's global growth strategy, following the recent growth investments in Russia, Brazil and China, as well as in other regions. The new plant will also further strengthen our position among the three leading nonwovens producers in the world", says Jukka Moisio, President and CEO of Ahlstrom Corporation.

"The medical market sector demands continually higher performing products", comments Paul Marold, Vice President and General Manager for Medical Fabrics. "This investment in state of the art spunmelt technology not only provides us with a strategic and cost-competitive location close to our suppliers and global customers but also positions Ahlstrom well for the emerging medical nonwovens market of India."

The global demand for spunmelt medical fabrics is estimated to grow annually by 9%, and double digit growth rates are seen in emerging markets. Mundra Special Economic Zone is one of the largest SEZs in India offering significant tax, infrastructure as well as logistics advantages.

For further information, please contact:

Jukka Moisio, President & CEO, Ahlstrom Corporation, tel. +358 (0)10 888 4700
Paul Marold, Vice President and General Manager, Medical Fabrics, tel. +1 860 654 8370

Distribution:
OMX Nordic Exchange 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 6,500 employees serve customers via sales offices and production facilities in more than 20 countries on six continents. In 2006, Ahlstrom's net sales amounted to EUR 1.6 billion. Ahlstrom's share is listed on the OMX Nordic Exchange Helsinki. The company website is www.ahlstrom.com.

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