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Albany International Corp. (NYSE: AIN) announced today that it will discontinue operations at its forming fabric manufacturing facility in Portland, Tennessee. The plant closing is the result of the continuing consolidation of customers in the U.S. and Canada, accelerated by the economic recession, and the need to balance the Company`s paper machine clothing (PMC) manufacturing capacity in North America with anticipated paper mill demand. Similar steps have been taken by the Company over the last few years in both Europe and North America, as the
global paper and paperboard industry continues to shift capacity from traditional paper markets to new emerging markets.

This planned action is a business necessity, driven by existing and expected market conditions, and in no way reflects on the performance of the 156 affectedemployees, who will be offered severance and outplacement assistance.

Transition of forming fabric manufacturing from the Portland area to other facilities in North America will begin at once and will be supervised by technical and manufacturing personnel to ensure continuity of customer supply.

The transition is expected to be completed by June 2010. The Company expects that, with this action, its PMC manufacturing capacity in the Americas will be, for the foreseeable future, as follows: forming production
for the Americas will be centered in Perth, Ontario, Canada; Menasha and Kaukauna, Wisconsin; and Indaial, Brazil; press production will be centered in St. Stephen, South Carolina; Cowansville, Québec, Canada; Indaial, Brazil; and
Cuautitlán, Mexico, and dryer production in Cuautitlán.

Albany International is a global advanced textiles and materials processing company. Its core business is the world`s leading producer of custom-designed fabrics and belts essential to the production of paper and paperboard. Albany`s
family of emerging businesses extends its advanced textiles and materials capabilities into a variety of other industries, most notably aerospace composites, nonwovens, building products, and high-performance industrial doors.
Albany International Corp. (NYSE: AIN) announced today that it will discontinue operations at its forming fabric manufacturing facility in Portland, Tennessee.
The plant closing is the result of the continuing consolidation of customers in the U.S. and Canada, accelerated by the economic recession, and the need to balance the Company`s paper machine clothing (PMC) manufacturing capacity in
North America with anticipated paper mill demand. Similar steps have been taken by the Company over the last few years in both Europe and North America, as the global paper and paperboard industry continues to shift capacity from
traditional paper markets to new emerging markets.

This planned action is a business necessity, driven by existing and expected market conditions, and in no way reflects on the performance of the 156 affected employees, who will be offered severance and outplacement assistance.

Transition of forming fabric manufacturing from the Portland area to other facilities in North America will begin at once and will be supervised by technical and manufacturing personnel to ensure continuity of customer supply.
The transition is expected to be completed by June 2010.

The Company expects that, with this action, its PMC manufacturing capacity in the Americas will be, for the foreseeable future, as follows: forming production for the Americas will be centered in Perth, Ontario, Canada; Menasha and
Kaukauna, Wisconsin; and Indaial, Brazil; press production will be centered in St. Stephen, South Carolina; Cowansville, Québec, Canada; Indaial, Brazil; and Cuautitlán, Mexico, and dryer production in Cuautitlán.

Albany International is a global advanced textiles and materials processing company. Its core business is the world`s leading producer of custom-designed fabrics and belts essential to the production of paper and paperboard. Albany`s
family of emerging businesses extends its advanced textiles and materials capabilities into a variety of other industries, most notably aerospace composites, nonwovens, building products, and high-performance industrial doors.

Tamfelt-konsernin Juankosken-tehtaan kaikkia henkilöstöryhmiä koskeneet yhteistoimintalain mukaiset neuvottelut ovat päättyneet.

19.2.2009 annetussa neuvotteluesityksessä arvioitiin henkilöstön vähentämistarpeen olevan enintään 9 henkilöä ja mahdollisten lomautusten pituudeltaan korkeintaan 90 päivää. Neuvottelujen tuloksena yhtiö on päättänyt irtisanoa yhteensä 9 työsuhdetta. Kaikki irtisanottavat pääsevät eläkejärjestelyjen piiriin. Lisäksi Juankosken-tehtaan henkilöstö tullaan lomauttamaan keskimäärin 2-3 viikoksi kevään ja kesän aikana. Mahdollisten lisälomautusten määrää arvioidaan vuoden aikana kysyntätilanteen mukaan.

Tavoitteena ovat vuositasolla noin 1,5 miljoonan euron kustannussäästöt. Tamfeltin Juankosken-tehtaan henkilöstömäärä on 305.

Tamfelt Group has ended the joint consultations according to the Act on Co-operation within Undertakings concerning all personnel groups at the Group’s Tampere plant.

In the negotiation proposal given in December 2008, the estimated number for personnel reduction was 160. In the negotiations, the final figure was determined at 97. 25 of those to be laid off are office staff and 72 shop floor workers. 43 of these will enter a retirement process. In addition, employees at the Tampere plant will be laid off temporarily for 3-6 weeks in the average. The target is to time the temporary lay-offs stepwise. The total amount of the temporary lay-offs will be evaluated over the year according to the demand situation. In the negotiations it was also concluded that fixed-time employments will not be continued after they expire. At the moment, the Tampere plant employs a total of 745 permanent employees. (Stock exchange release, during trade)

In addition to 97 fired personnel, a total of 50 fixed-time employments are not renewed. Reduction accounts for roughly 20% of workers at Tampere. Thus the result is inline with company’s initial target (reduction of 160 employees).

As the trend of paper demand is still downward, the planned temporary layoffs may have to be extend also in H2’09.

*Neutral/Negative news for Tamfelt

SAO PAULO, Jan. 19, 2009 (RISI) – Following recent pulp and paper industry postponements of some investment projects, Albany International is recalculating the timeline of its expansion plan at its Indaial plant, in Santa Catarina state, Brazil.

Albany, which manufactures paper machine clothing and process belts and supplies the South American industry, is investing to raise Indaial’s current capacity by 80% for completion in 2011. The first phase of the expansion project includes the installation of new weaving looms and needler looms as well as the expansion of the industrial building area by 30%, according to Elidio Frias, Albany International Brazil’s marketing director.

The project’s second phase, which is scheduled to be ready in 2011, includes the installation of new equipment for clothing and belts manufacturing. “The chronology of the first phase is confirmed as we have demand from South American pulp and tissue producers which will start up projects this year,” Frias said. “The second phase, though, will follow the pulp and paper projects’ new schedule in the region,” Frias added.

Albany International Oy, an affiliate of Albany International Corp. (NYSE:AIN), announced today its plan to discontinue operations at its dryer fabric manufacturing facility in Konala, Finland. Over the last several years, similar steps have been taken in North America and Europe to match capacity to the global demand for paper machine clothing, as the global paper industry has continued to consolidate and eliminate capacity.

The proposal, if implemented, is estimated to affect up to 133 employees and is subject to review under local law and would be implemented in accordance with such law and in consultation with the Works Council.

The planned action at Konala in no way reflects on the performance of the affected employees; it is a business necessity, driven by the existing and anticipated market conditions.

The company remains committed to the dryer fabric business and will continue to provide customers with strong expertise in Product Application, Sales and Marketing, Service, and Research and Development to ensure outstanding product quality. It is planned that dryer fabric sourcing will continue to be available from manufacturing operations in Germany, China, France, and Mexico.

Albany International is a global advanced textiles and materials processing company. Its core business is the world’s leading producer of custom-designed fabrics and belts essential to the production of paper and paperboard. Albany’s family of emerging businesses extends its advanced textiles and materials capabilities into a variety of other industries, most notably aerospace composites, nonwovens, building products, and high-performance industrial doors.

(Press release)