In the past couple of years Stora Enso Paper has systematically improved and restructured its assets. They are now high standard and the benefits of recent investments are being reaped, but improvement continues. New investments will target growth segments and emerging markets.

Asset restructuring

Asset restructuring is a never-ending process in which the Group analyses the competitiveness and prospects of its assets, and then sets development plans for each. If a paper machine is not competitive enough and the prospects are poor, it will be closed down or converted to manufacture other products.

Stora Enso has recently invested a lot in building new capacity

The newsprint machine at Langerbrugge started up in 2003 and the new magazine paper machine at Kvarnsveden Mill in Sweden will start up in 2005. Another major investment was rebuilding paper machine 6 at Maxau Mill in Germany to improve its productivity and competitiveness. Stora Enso has also closed down or converted some older paper machines in order to improve its profitability.