Helsinki, Finland, 11 August 2009 -- Ahlstrom has concluded the personnel negotiations started on 01 June at its plant in Karhula, Finland. As a result of the negotiations, the company has decided on temporary layoffs at the Karhula plant. The temporary layoffs are targeted to adapt the production volumes of specialty reinforcements and glassfiber tissue to match the demand.

The temporary layoffs at the Karhula plant will be carried out during the latter part of the year. The duration of the layoffs is estimated to be 90 days, at the most.

These adjustments do not affect the delivery and service level of the plant.

Ahlstrom's plant in Karhula, Finland, is part of the company's Glass & Industrial Nonwovens business area. The plant employs approximately 260 blue-collar and 100 white-collar workers.

Ahlstrom is a global leader in the development, manufacture, and marketing of high performance nonwovens and specialty papers. Ahlstrom's products are used in a large variety of everyday applications, such as filters, wipes, flooring, labels, and tapes. Ahlstrom's 6000 employees serve customers via sales offices and production facilities in more than 20 countries on six continents. In 2008, Ahlstrom's net sales amounted to EUR 1.8 billion. Ahlstrom's share is quoted on the NASDAQ OMX Helsinki. The company Web site is www.ahlstrom.com.