Metso Panelboard’s net sales grew by 12% to €104m in 2004 thanks to Chinese contracts and demand for aftermarket services.
But profits at the Finnish-based company were only €0.4m due to a “challenging competitive environment”.
Metso Panelboard reported strong sales of advanced technology such as the ClassiFormer and ClassiCleaner, while 2004 proved to be a busy year for installations, especially in China.
Plant modernisations included upgrading a particleboard line for Pfleiderer Grajewo in Poland and an MDF line for Kronotex in Germany.
The 200th Metso ClassiFormer to be sold was supplied to Nevamar’s plant in Franklin, Virginia. More than 215 Metso ClassiFormers had been sold in total by the end of 2004.
