Avena inaugurates new grain terminal at Inkoo

Media release, 12.00 noon on 18 August 2015

Media release, 12.00 noon on 18 August 2015
Avena Nordic Grain Oy, which is part of the Apetit Group, has today inaugurated
its EUR 1.8 million investment in domestic grain reception, storage and export
facilities at the port of Inkoo. The new port will increase Avena’s annual
grain export capacity and provide growers in the south of Finland an
opportunity to deliver grain directly to an export facility and the
international grain market. Avena’s operations in the port are in co-operation
with Inkoo Shipping Oy Ab and Nylands Svenska Lantbrukssällskap.

Avena 20 years

Avena celebrated its 20th anniversary in conjunction with the inauguration.
Avena was founded in 1995 when Finland joined the EU. It was a ‘start-up’
company of the day, established to serve the market-based grain trade. ”During
its 20 years, Avena has become an internationally respected company that brings
together grain buyers and sellers in Finland and abroad. As a Finnish company
Avena wants especially to serve Finnish growers and its other customers in
Finland,” says Kaija Viljanen, Avena’s Managing Director.

Juha Vanhainen, Apetit Plc’s CEO, emphasised the importance of primary
production to the food industry and for the security of supply. Primary
production and the food industry need each other. The wellbeing and
competitiveness of all parties in Finnish food production must be safeguarded.
This requires political will, investments by the food sector and a reform of
primary production. Without healthy primary production, we would be hard
pressed to produce high-quality Finnish foods that are also in demand
internationally.” Vanhainen also emphasised that it is important to find ways
to improve our export competitiveness. “Steps already taken in this direction
include the temporary halving of fairway dues, but we have to look at Finland’s
export competitiveness in the longer run.”

Efficient grain route

Avena has built a grain laboratory in the storage area in which analysis
services will be provided by Nylands Svenska Lantbrukssällskap. Sampling is
automatic, improving the efficiency of operations. In addition, Inkoo Shipping
has invested in a new full-length weighbridge to speed up the weighing of grain
lorries. The new grain stores will open for deliveries next week. This autumn
we will be taking feed barley.

Work on the new grain stores was started in early spring 2015. There are three
grain stores and their total floor area is 6,120 m². The first of them is
already able to accept grain deliveries and the other two will be completed
during August. Their total storage capacity is over 20,000 tonnes of grain,
depending on the grain variety.

The new grain terminal in Inkoo is an important delivery location for growers
in South Finland, where there is a lot of production but no industrial
customers or other grain terminals. It creates a shorter route to international
markets for grain growers in the provinces of Uusimaa, Southwest Finland and
Häme. The port is highly efficient and can load both smaller ships and large
ocean-going vessels up to the Panamax class, with a capacity of up to 60,000
tonnes of grain.

For more information, please contact:

Juha Vanhainen, CEO, Apetit Plc, tel. +358 10 402 00
Kaija Viljanen, Managing Director, Avena Nordic Grain Oy, tel. +358 40 501 2814

Avena Nordic Grain Oy is Finland’s leading trader in grains, oilseeds and
animal feedstuffs, and is a manufacturer and supplier of vegetable oils and
expeller. Avena’s main market is the European Union, but it also trades in many
other markets. Avena is especially active in its home market, Finland. The
company’s principal location is Espoo, but it also operates in other parts of
Finland: Vaasa, Pori, Salo, Kirkkonummi, Loimaa, Hämeenlinna, Kouvola and
Porvoo. Its oil milling plant, Mildola Oy, is located in Kirkkonummi. Avena
Nordic Grain’s net sales in 2014 totalled EUR 214 million and the company
employed 83 people. Avena is part of the Finnish food company Apetit Plc, which
is listed on NASDAQ OMX Helsinki Ltd. In 2014, Apetit Plc had net sales of EUR
385 million and employed 723 people. For more information, please visit
www.avena.fi and www.apetitgroup.fi.