Sweden: Viking Malt, with its operative centre in Lahti, Finland, announced today it has officially opened its new malt house in Halmstad, Sweden on 24 November 2004. The value of the investment is around EUR 33 million.

The investment doubles the nominal annual malting capacity of Viking Malt Halmstad to 170 000 tonnes/year. In addition to the new malting tower, the investment includes: additional silo capacity for barley; new process control for the silo plant; new laboratory and office. The maltings and silo equipment was delivered by Schmidt-Seeger AG and Brice-Baker Silos Ltd.

With this new production unit, together with the newly opened malt house in Panevezys, Lithuania, Viking Malt has a total nominal annual malting capacity of 340.000 tonnes.

At the opening ceremony Mr Harald Relander, Chairman of the Board of Polttimo Companies stated: "With these modern malting houses, increased capacity and streamlined organisation Viking Malt will be well equipped to supply its customers cost-effectively also in the future”.

"This investment in Halmstad is a further step to increase our possibilities of delivering large quantities of homogenous quality and to guarantee gentle handling at loadings of bulk shipments to export markets”, says Mr Bengt Ohlsson, Managing Director of Viking Malt.

The festivities were honoured by participation of the County Governor of Halland, Karin Starrin, together with current and future customers, raw material suppliers and representatives of authorities. All in all around 100 guests were present at the ceremony.

The ownership of Viking Malt Oy is divided between Polttimo Companies in Finland (62.5 %) and Svenska Lantmännen (Swedish Farmers) in Sweden (37.5 %).

Malt is important raw material for the brewing industry. Viking Malt production units in Sweden use 260 000 tonnes malting barley annually for malt production. In Sweden the malting barley is mainly acquired from local farmers.

Malt production in the world amounts to approximately 18 million tonnes. Viking Malt with its total malting capacity of 340 000 tonnes/a is the 12th largest malting company in the world. The company has four production units in three countries – Lahti (Finland), Halmstad and Söderhamn (Sweden) and Panevezys (Lithuania). In addition to home market, Viking Malt has important customers in Norway, Denmark, Russia, Baltic Countries, Central Europe, Venezuela, Japan and Central America. 70 % of Viking Malt’s production is exported.

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