:: Metso Minerals Reorganizes its Operations to Improve Profitability and Strengthen Customer Focus

Metso Minerals will reorganize its operations in order to improve its profitability, streamline its operations and enhance its flexibility. The new organization, effective as of September 15, brings the business lines closer to the customers, and clarifies the roles and responsibilities between the business lines and the sales regions, thus enabling faster response to the market demands. It also targets an increased customer focus in line with the Metso Future Care business concept.

The core of the new organization will consist of six business lines:

• Crushing and Screening, including related spare and wear parts operations. The business line is headed by Jouni Salo.
• Minerals Processing, headed by Andrew Benko.
• Wear Protection and Conveying, headed by Bengt Dehlén till December 1, 2003, when he will retire. Anders Thulin has been appointed President of the business line following Mr Dehlén.
• Compaction and Paving, headed by Ronald Kok.
• Recycling, headed by Gérard Guerrier.
• Drilling, headed by Gérard Guerrier.

Metso Minerals' Management Board will consist of Bertel Langenskiöld (President, Metso Minerals), Juha Seppälä (CFO, Metso Minerals) as well as Presidents of all the business lines.