Metsä Board reports its first quarter 2013 results yesterday. Events in the first quarter included:
•Folding boxboard order inflow strengthened and delivery volumes increased from the previous quarter.
•Demand for white-top kraftliner continued to be very strong. Metsä Board announced a white-top kraftliner price increase.
•The delivery volumes of uncoated fine paper and coated papers improved from the previous quarter, but prices declined. Metsä Board announced an uncoated fine paper price increase in Europe.
•Demand for market pulp continued to be strong and prices increased slightly.
•In January, Metsä Board divested the Alizay mill site in France, including the equipment and buildings, to Conseil Général de l’Eure, representing the French government, for EUR 22 million.
Metsä Board's CEO Mikko Helander made the following comments:
“Our operating result excluding non-recurring items improved in the first quarter of 2013, mainly due to increased delivery volumes. The market situation in paperboard is currently strong, and delivery volumes are expected to be good in the second quarter as well. We will increase the prices of white-top kraftliner in all our main markets during the second quarter. Demand for pulp has also continued to be strong, and prices have continued to increase slightly.”
"Production efficiency of our expanded folding boxboard capacity reached the targeted level at the beginning of 2013. The capacity expansion was very important to our customers so that the availability of high-quality paperboard could be ensured. In the folding boxboard business, Europe is our home market, but we are seeking new business in North America and Asia as well, where we are developing our operations in order to clearly increase delivery volumes in the future. We still have good opportunities to grow the capacity of our existing paperboard machines through moderate investments in order to support our customers' growth. “
