Ahlstrom to invest in medical nonwovens production in India


Ahlstrom Corporation STOCK EXCHANGE RELEASE 13.12.2007

Ahlstrom, a global leader in high performance fiber-based materials,
announced today that it will invest EUR 38 million in a new medical
nonwovens plant utilizing spunmelt technology in India. The
investment is in line with Ahlstrom's strategy to grow in the fast
growing emerging markets.

The new plant will manufacture a full range of spunmelt fabrics with
a main focus on the medical fabrics market and the site also enables
future expansions of Ahlstrom businesses in India. The new facility,
using state of the art nonwovens technology, will be located in the
Mundra Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in the western state of Gujarat
and is expected to start production by the end of 2009."The investment in India is again a step ahead in Ahlstrom's global
growth strategy, following the recent growth investments in Russia,
Brazil and China, as well as in other regions. The new plant will
also further strengthen our position among the three leading
nonwovens producers in the world", says Jukka Moisio, President and
CEO of Ahlstrom Corporation."The medical market sector demands continually higher performing
products", comments Paul Marold, Vice President and General Manager
for Medical Fabrics. "This investment in state of the art spunmelt
technology not only provides us with a strategic and cost-competitive
location close to our suppliers and global customers but also
positions Ahlstrom well for the emerging medical nonwovens market of
India."

The global demand for spunmelt medical fabrics is estimated to grow
annually by 9%, and double digit growth rates are seen in emerging
markets. Mundra Special Economic Zone is one of the largest SEZs in
India offering significant tax, infrastructure as well as logistics
advantages.

For further information, please contact:

Jukka Moisio, President & CEO, Ahlstrom Corporation, tel. +358
(0)10 888 4700
Paul Marold, Vice President and General Manager, Medical Fabrics,
tel. +1 860 654 8370

Distribution:
OMX Nordic Exchange Helsinki
Main media
www.ahlstrom.com


Ahlstrom in brief
Ahlstrom is a global leader in the development, manufacture and
marketing of high performance fiber-based materials. Nonwovens and
specialty papers, made by Ahlstrom, are used in a large variety of
everyday products, such as filters, wipes, flooring, labels, and
tapes. Based upon its unique fiber expertise and innovative approach,
the company has a strong market position in several business areas in
which it operates. Ahlstrom's 6,500 employees serve customers via
sales offices and production facilities in more than 20 countries on
six continents. In 2006, Ahlstrom's net sales amounted to EUR 1.6
billion. Ahlstrom's share is listed on the OMX Nordic Exchange
Helsinki. The company website is www.ahlstrom.com.