Stora Enso Oyj’s Oulu Mill, which is the world’s largest woodfree coated paper manufacturing mill, has received the 2001 Finnish Quality Award in the Units Category. The award will be presented to the winning company by Mrs Tarja Halonen, President of the Republic of Finland, at a ceremony held today at 7.00 p.m. local time.
In making their decision, the jury placed particular emphasis on the Oulu Mill’s program of systematic management and ambitious improvement, which is demonstrated by several extensive and well-executed development projects and developmental groups serving in all operational areas. Continuous improvement is maintained by a quality management system and systematic self-assessments, which have been in use at the mill for several years.
The jury commended the mill for its comprehensive and value-based operational development. “Partnerships are actively courted and joint innovations are used in mill operations. This also results in excellent financial results,” the jury concluded.
Although Juha Vanhainen, Mill Director at Oulu, views the award as a mark of appreciation for the mill’s personnel as well as for partners and customers, he also emphasises that it is not an end in itself, but represents one step on the endless path of operational improvement.
The Oulu Mill’s award continues the success of Stora Enso’s units in the competition by being the third first-place taken by the company. In this year’s Quality Award competition, which was organised for the eleventh consecutive year, there were 13 participants in four categories.
Stora Enso’s Oulu Mill manufactures coated fine art papers for use in annual reports and brochures as well as art and photography books. The combined annual capacity of the mill’s two production lines is 800,000 tons, of which 98% is exported. The current development project, costing some FIM 500 million, will increase the capacity of the older paper production line, which went on stream in 1991, by almost 100,000 tons.
The Oulu Mill’s sales last year totalled almost FIM 4 billion. The mill employs 800 people.
For further information, please contact
Juha Vanhainen, Mill Director, tel. +358 2046 33793
Petri Nieminen, Quality Manager, tel. +358 2046 33795
