Ahlstrom is celebrating the inauguration of its new production facility in Longkou, Shandong Province, in eastern China. The plant is a joint venture together with Longkou Yulong Paper Co. Ltd, and it produces medical papers used for sterilization wraps and masking tape base papers for the building industry in the Asian market.

“This joint venture in Longkou supports Ahlstrom’s growth strategy and strengthens our presence in Asia. Crepe paper used in the medical and building industries in Asia provides us interesting opportunities for growth in the area,” says Jan Lång, Ahlstrom’s president and CEO.

The new plant in China is the outcome of a EUR 21.9 million investment, of which EUR 13.1 million contributed by Ahlstrom, and employs approximately 140 people. Located in the Zhu You Guan Industrial Park in Longkou, the plant is conveniently positioned near a large commercial port with excellent connections to China and Asia by road and sea, ensuring easy logistics for both incoming raw materials and shipment of products. The investment was initially announced on October 28, 2010.

The plant is a part of Ahlstrom’s Food and Medical Business Area. In addition to Longkou, Ahlstrom has three other manufacturing plants and twelve sales offices in Asia, providing service throughout the region.