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Around 140 jobs may be at risk after Finnish wood products corporation Metsä Wood announced it is to scale back its UK operations.
In a statement, the company said the move its due to: “significant changes in the competitive landscape and evolving customer requirements”.
It also said that the developments mean beginning a “collective consultation with employees”, likely to affect roles, responsibilities, and reporting lines across the organisation with an estimated impact on around 140 positions, out of the 275 employees at its two sites.
The Boston-based company made a statement on February 10, in which it said that it remains “committed in the UK to delivering high-quality Nordic Wood products and services to its customers and to maintaining strong, sustainable partnerships aligned with its long-term strategy”.
Metsä Wood UK operates from manufacturing and distribution sites in Boston and King’s Lynn. The former produces and distributes timber and panel products, including softwood, MDF mouldings, door linings and casings, sheet materials, and fire-rated solutions. The latter site specialises in engineered wood products, including Finnjoist I-beams for the construction industry, and the pressure treatment of timber products for the merchant and DIY markets.
Metsä Wood UK made a pre-tax profit of £8.7m (2023: £3.7m) and sales of £173.3m (2023: £191m) in the year to December 31 2024.
