European Commission approves the combination of Ahlstrom's Label and Processing business and Munksjö AB
Ahlstrom Corporation STOCK EXCHANGE RELEASE May 24, 2013 at 12.15
Not to be distributed in or into Australia, Canada, the Hong Kong special administrative region of the People's Republic of China, Japan, New Zealand, South Africa or the United States.
Ahlstrom, a global high performance fiber-based materials company, announces that the European Commission has today approved the combination of Ahlstrom's Label and Processing business and Munksjö AB. The combination makes Munksjö Oyj a new global leader in high-quality specialty papers.
With this approval, Ahlstrom and Munksjö are initiating the final steps of the closing procedures of the first phase of the transaction, in which LP Europe, the European part of Ahlstrom's Label and Processing business, is combined with Munksjö. The completion is expected to take place on May 27, 2013 at the latest. The clearance from CADE, the Brazilian competition authority, has been received already.
The approval is subject to the divestiture of Ahlstrom's abrasive paper backings and pre-impregnated decor paper lines in Osnabrück, Germany, to a third party. Ahlstrom has started to prepare for the divestiture process and is looking into different alternatives to divest its abrasive backings and pre-impregnated decor paper businesses.
The divestment process does not prevent Ahlstrom from closing the first phase of the transaction, the combination of Ahlstrom's Label and Processing European business (LP Europe) with Munksjö, on May 27, 2013 at the latest. Ahlstrom shareholders who hold shares in Ahlstrom or have purchased Ahlstrom shares prior to the close of trading today will receive new shares in Munksjö Oyj as a demerger consideration in the LP Europe Demerger.
In addition, NASDAQ OMX Helsinki Ltd (Helsinki Stock Exchange) has approved the listing of Munksjö Oyj's shares on the official list of the Helsinki Stock Exchange. The trading with Munksjö's shares is expected to commence approximately on June 7, 2013.
For more information, please contact:
Liisa Nyyssönen
Vice President, Communications
Tel. +358 10 888 4757
Ahlstrom in brief
Ahlstrom is a high performance fiber-based materials company, partnering with leading businesses around the world to help them stay ahead. Our products are used in a large variety of everyday applications, such as filters, medical gowns and drapes, diagnostics, wallcoverings, flooring and food packaging. We have a leading market position in the businesses in which we operate. In 2012, Ahlstrom's net sales from the continuing operations (excluding Label and Processing business) amounted to EUR 1 billion. Our 3,800 employees serve customers in 28 countries on six continents. Ahlstrom's share is quoted on the NASDAQ OMX Helsinki. More information available at www.ahlstrom.com.
Disclaimer
This document may not be distributed in or into Australia, Canada, the Hong Kong special administrative region of the People's Republic of China, Japan, New Zealand, South Africa or the United States. The information contained herein shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy the securities referred to herein in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration, exemption from registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction.
This document is not an offer for sale of securities in the United States. Securities may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an exemption from registration under the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended. Ahlstrom Corporation, Munksjö AB and Munksjö Oyj have not registered, and do not intend to register, any offering of the Munksjö shares in the United States. There will be no public offering of the Munksjö shares in the United States.
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