HELSINKI, Finland, Nov. 17, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) -- Metso Minerals' Crushing and Screening business line is centralizing its North American warehouse, logistics and customer service operations to Columbia, South Carolina. The decision will bring a modernization and expansion to the production facility opened in 1965. The value of the total investment is approximately EUR 5 million. In addition to a service center, the Columbia facility will also include an assembly line for mobile screens and crushing plants. The renewed plant has 203,000 square feet of production and office space on 40 acres of land.
The purpose of the Columbia facility is to meet the growing demand on the U.S. market for crushed aggregate, improve flexibility and customer service, and enhance the efficiency of crushing and screening equipment deliveries throughout North America. The renovated customer service center will open in spring 2006. When fully operational in 2007, it will employ an estimated 150 production, customer service and administrative professionals. It is estimated that the assembly line will produce 200 mobile plants per year.
Metso Minerals has been active in the United States since the 1870s. The company's Crushing and Screening business line has customer service and logistics centers directly or through representation in 50 countries. Improving local customer service in particular is one of the company's strategic objectives.
Metso is a global technology corporation serving customers in the pulp and paper industry, rock and minerals processing, the energy industry and selected other industries. In 2004, the net sales of Metso Corporation were approx. EUR 4 billion, and it has some 22,000 employees in more than 50 countries. Metso's shares are listed on the Helsinki and New York Stock Exchanges.