Helsinki, Finland, 12 November 2010 -- Metso has inaugurated its third service center for the pulp and paper industry in China. The new center is located in Zibo, Shandong Province, and it employs 40 service professionals. The center offers advanced machinery maintenance and process development services to the pulp and paper industry in northern China.

The Zibo Service Center is a fully equipped roll service workshop offering rolls, roll covers, and mechanical roll maintenance for all makes and sizes of pulp and paper machines. In addition, the center offers spare parts and mill site services and has the facilities to manufacture ceramic roll covers.

Metso has steadily increased its local presence in China. The establishment of the Zibo Service Center is a continuation of the commitment to serve the Chinese pulp and paper industry locally. In 2001, Metso’s first service center was opened in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province. The roll service capacity of the Wuxi workshop was doubled in 2007, when an extension was opened. By September 2010, the workshop in Wuxi had serviced 3000 customer rolls. In January 2009, a second service center was inaugurated in Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, to serve the pulp and paper industry in southern China.

The Chinese pulp and paper industry has made substantial investments in new machinery and technology over the past 10 years. Metso has been involved in many of these projects and is currently the industry's leading technology supplier.

In 2009 China was the Metso Group´s largest country in terms of orders received with EUR 762 million. China also was the second largest country in terms of Metso Group´s net sales with EUR 538 million. The Metso Group has altogether about 2600 employees in China.

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 about 27,000 employees in more than 50 countries.