Finland


	The Japan Times WORLD EYE REPORTS FINLAND

©THE JAPAN TIMES	Sunday, March 10, 2002

Not just a pulp and paper company

M-Real has given a new face and a new mission to one of Finland's largest and most dynamic companies. Energized from an acquisition spree that made it one of the top European paper companies, the former MetsaSerla has cast aside the stereotype of what makes a pulp and paper company. More than a new name, M-Real represents a new company and a new culture in this most traditional of industries, with products ranging from copy paper to the pages of the new European passports.

"We are not just a paper company," affirmed Jorma Vaajoki, president and CEO of M-Real. "We are a supplier of high quality, innovative products made for our customers." The new name represents more than just a new image to Vaajoki. It is a challenge to be addressed.
M-Real President and CEO Jorma Vaajoki is taking his company beyond the range of the traditional pulp and paper industry.

Shifting the core values of a company is never an easy undertaking, but there is a ground-up restructuring underway. Focus on individual products has been de-emphasized in favor of a new focus on business areas. As he put it, "It makes no sense to talk about fine coated or uncoated paper. These are the products of today, and there is no telling if they will be around tomorrow." This has led to increased dialogue with customers.

A new focus on consumer-centered marketing at M-Real has led to an even greater emphasis than before on research and development. Close cooperation and dialogue leads to more products that people want and need. "You cannot make people use more paper," Vaajoki said of his new initiative, "and nobody wins in a race to the bottom, so you have to increase quality and add value. Customers will respond by finding greater uses for your products."

Only half-joking, he remarked, "We spend much of our time inventing higher quality products on the office side in response to advances on the Japanese equipment side." Recent innovations by M-Real have led to lighter and stronger paper than ever before, and the company is known worldwide for the quality of the boxboard it produces.

One of the great advantages of Finland in the global marketplace is its small size, which forces companies to look overseas for growth. "We had a goal of becoming a European company, so our view changed from that of a Finnish company exporting out of Finland, to a European company with global operations," he explained.

Facing the new responsibilities that come with its increased size, M-Real has also made the environment a priority. By seeking natural alternatives to chemical-based methods, M-Real has made significant efforts to become both a responsible and profitable corporate citizen. With the new slogan, "Make it Real" the company has become the leading supplier of fine paper in the rapidly expanding and evolving European market.

Under Vaajoki's leadership, the company has seen its turnover quadruple in the last five years, and is poised to fill its new identity with new values and principles. "In the future, we hope that people won?t just read our name but also instantly associate it with the core values and culture of the responsible, consumer-driven growth that M-Real represents."

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