Norbord Closes Particleboard Line at Genk, Belgium


Toronto, Ontario, Canada, 18 March 2008 -– Norbord Inc. (TSX:NBD) announced today that it will permanently close the particleboard line at Genk, Belgium, effective immediately. This decision follows full consultations with the on-site Works Council and local unions.

As announced on 15 February 2008, production on the OSB line at Genk is not affected by this announcement.

The permanent closure is effective immediately and impacts approximately 85 people.

Norbord does not expect that a write-down of particleboard asset values will be required as a result of the line closure.

“The particleboard line comprises older technology and has always been considered non-core,” said Barrie Shineton, president and CEO. “We continued to operate the particleboard line because of its positive financial contribution during recent strong market conditions. The return to more normal product prices made this difficult decision necessary.”

Annual capacity of the particleboard line is 170 MMsf (3/8-inch basis).

Norbord Inc. is an international producer of wood-based panels and is a publicly traded company listed on the TSX under the symbol NBD.