Helsinki, Finland, 15 January 2009 -- Metso plans to carry out a personnel reduction of approximately 70 employees at its Paper and Fiber Technology units in the United States and Canada. The measures are caused by the weakening of the North American market, which has led to the reduction of the workload in service and customer projects. The reductions become effective during the first quarter of 2009.

The reduction affects employees in tasks related to production, procurement, product and project management, engineering, and sales and general administration.

Metso Group currently employs approximately 4000 people in North America, approximately 1100 of them work in the Paper and Fiber Technology.

Metso (www.metso.com) is a global supplier of sustainable technology and services for mining, construction, power generation, automation, recycling, and the pulp and paper industries. The company has more than 28,000 employees in more than 50 countries.