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Rautaruukki Oyj (HEL:RTRKS) Rautaruukki Oyj Stock Exchange Release 7 October 2008 at 15.00
Rautaruukki's Ruukki Construction division is to improve production efficiency and optimise production capacity and logistics in the Central Eastern European region. These actions are part of Rautaruukki's new corporate-wide operational excellence programme, Boost.
In the Czech Republic, the smaller profiling unit at Ostrava will be closed and the machinery will be gradually relocated to Ruukki's bigger plants in Hungary, Poland and Romania by the end of the first quarter of 2009. Employer-employee negotiations at the Ostrava unit will start soonest and affect 81 people. The Ostrava unit has been located in rented premises since 2002. In future, roofing and cladding profiles for the Czech and Slovak markets will be delivered from Hungary and Poland.
In Poland, a profitability programme has been launched at the Oborniki steel frame and sandwich panel plant. The 9-month programme will enhance processes and aims at a significant improvement in the plant's earnings performance. Detailed actions will be specified as the programme progresses.
These actions are being taken with the aim of an annual improvement in Ruukki Construction's operating profit of more than EUR 3 million starting in 2009.
For further information, please contact: Saku Sipola, President, Ruukki Construction, tel: +358 20 59 28979
Rautaruukki Corporation Anne Pirilä SVP, Corporate Communications and Investor Relations
Rautaruukki supplies metal-based components, systems and integrated systems to the construction and engineering industries. The company has a wide selection of metal products and services. Rautaruukki has operations in 25 countries and employs 14,990 people. Net sales in 2007 totalled EUR 3.9 billion. The company's share is quoted on the OMX Nordic Exchange Helsinki (Rautaruukki Oyj: RTRKS). The Corporation uses the marketing name Ruukki.
DISTRIBUTION OMX Nordic Exchange Helsinki Main media www.ruukki.com
