“As the market for printing paper continues to be weak, we are forced to take steps to maintain our competitiveness and improve profitability,” says Arne Wallin, head of Holmen Paper. “Unfortunately, these measures mean that a number of employees will have to leave the company.” Holmen Paper has already reduced its staff, improved the product mix and shut down unprofitable production capacity. In Hallsta paper mill the recovered paper operation and one paper machine was shut down in 2008.“We’ve succeeded in reorganizing production at Hallsta mill so that we manufacture more improved products such as MF Magazine and book paper. But to achieve acceptable profitability, we also need to lower our fixed costs," says Arne Wallin."Combined with the continuous efforts of further developing our products, among other things through a rebuild of PM11, this lays the foundations for securing a future for the mill that is sustainable in the long term,” Arne Wallin concludes.