Rautaruukki to improve operational efficiency o...

Rautaruukki Oyj Stock Exchange Release 7 October 2008 at 15.00

Rautaruukki's Ruukki Construction division is to improve production
efficiency and optimise production capacity and logistics in the
Central Eastern European region. These actions are part of
Rautaruukki's new corporate-wide operational excellence programme,
Boost.


In the Czech Republic, the smaller profiling unit at Ostrava will be
closed and the machinery will be gradually relocated to Ruukki's
bigger plants in Hungary, Poland and Romania by the end of the first
quarter of 2009. Employer-employee negotiations at the Ostrava unit
will start soonest and affect 81 people. The Ostrava unit has been
located in rented premises since 2002. In future, roofing and
cladding profiles for the Czech and Slovak markets will be delivered
from Hungary and Poland.

In Poland, a profitability programme has been launched at the
Oborniki steel frame and sandwich panel plant. The 9-month programme
will enhance processes and aims at a significant improvement in the
plant's earnings performance. Detailed actions will be specified as
the programme progresses.

These actions are being taken with the aim of an annual improvement
in Ruukki Construction's operating profit of more than EUR 3 million
starting in 2009.


For further information, please contact: Saku Sipola, President,
Ruukki Construction, tel: [phone]

Rautaruukki Corporation
Anne Pirilä
SVP, Corporate Communications and Investor Relations


Rautaruukki supplies metal-based components, systems and integrated
systems to the construction and engineering industries. The company
has a wide selection of metal products and services. Rautaruukki has
operations in 25 countries and employs 14,990 people. Net sales in
2007 totalled EUR 3.9 billion. The company's share is quoted on the
OMX Nordic Exchange Helsinki (Rautaruukki Oyj: RTRKS). The
Corporation uses the marketing name Ruukki.


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OMX Nordic Exchange Helsinki
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www.ruukki.com