The net sales of Viisnurk AS for the first half of 2003 were 188.6 mil. kroons (12.1 mil. euros) and the net profit 3.2 mil. kroons (0.2 mil. euros). In the same period of the last year, the net sales totalled 175.8 mil. kroons (11.2 mil. euros) and the net profit 3.7 mil. kroons (0.2 mil. euros).

In the 2nd quarter, the company exposed the profit of 2.6 mil. kroons (0.17 mil. euros) at the net sales of 97.4 mil. kroons (6.2 mil. euros). The net sales and net profit of Viisnurk for the 2nd quarter of 2002 were 94 mil. and 4.8 mil. kroons (6 mil. and 0.3 mil. euros), respectively.

The earnings of Viisnurk before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) amounted to 11.7 mil. kroons/0.75 mil. euros (i.e. the EBITDA margin was 12%) in the 2nd quarter, and 21.8 mil. kroons (1.4 mil. euros) in the first half of the year.


Divisional Review

- The Furniture Division of Viisnurk AS, which incorporates the sawmill, the Wood Panel and Furniture Factories, earned 2.8 mil. kroons (0.18 mil. euros) of profit at the net sales of 118.2 mil. kroons (7.6 mil. euros) in the first half of the year. As compared to the same period of the previous year, the net sales of the Furniture Division increased by 5%, but the profit slumped by approximately a half. In the 2nd quarter, the net sales of the Furniture Division totalled 60.6 mil. kroons (3.9 mil. euros) and the operations resulted in the loss of 2.2 mil. kroons (0.14 mil. euros). The half-yearly results were divided between various subdivisions of the Furniture Division as follows: in the period, the sawmill earned 3.1 mil. kroons (0.2 mil. euros) of profit at the net sales of 10.9 mil. kroons/0.7 mil. euros (the net sales for 2002 were 13.3 mil. kroons/0.85 mil. euros and the profit 0.4 mil. kroons/0.03 mil. euros); the Wood Panel Factory incurred a loss of 9.6 mil. kroons (0.6 mil. euros) at the net sales of 23.3 mil. kroons/1.5 mil. euros (cf. a loss of 7 mil. kroons/0.45 mil. euros at the net sales of 10.5 mil. kroons/0.7 mil. euros in 2002), and the Furniture Factory earned the profit of 9.3 mil. kroons (0.6 mil. euros) at the net sales of 84 mil. kroons/5.4 mil. euros (the net sales amounted to 88.9 mil. kroons/5.7 mil. euros and the profit 12 mil. kroons/0.8 mil. euros in the same period of the last year). Whereas the results of the sawmill and the Furniture Factory for the 2nd quarter complied with the plans, the loss of the Wood Panel Factory exceeded the estimates. The Wood Panel Factory suffered from the lack of orders to suit its product portfolio, thus the factory had to operate with the limited capacity in the 2nd quarter of the year. On one hand, it was due to the seasonal nature of the industrial sector; one the other hand, the market situation is incessantly low, especially for pine panels.  After the vacation period in summer, the Furniture Division of Viisnurk will focus even more on processing birch, including all activities from producing sawn timber, furniture blanks and edge-glued panels to manufacturing and marketing solid wood furniture of birch. The product development process of furniture lines is mainly related to birch to enable more internal orders for both the sawmill and the Wood Panel Factory in the future, and make use of the synergy within the divisions.

- The economic activities of the Sports Goods Division for the first half of the year resulted in 22.2 mil. kroons (1.4 mil. euros) of net sales and 3.8 mil. kroons (0.24 mil. euros) of loss. Compared to the last year, the sales of the division grew by 7.6%, but the loss increased by 1.7 mil. kroons (0.1 mil. euros). However, the division started to earn profit again in the 2nd quarter of the year, making 1.2 mil. kroons (0.1 mil. euros) of profit at the net sales of 13 mil. kroons (0.83 mil. euros). Both the increase in the output of hockey sticks and the renewal of the quality management system of the production process of cross-country skis had an important role in it. The production capacities of the current year for both cross-country skis and hockey sticks are fully covered with agreements, including the ones made with such major customers as Rossignol, Exel, Skilom, Itech, Hespeler and Louisville.

- The current year has been the most successful for the Building Materials Division. The net sales of 47.6 mil. kroons (3 mil. euros) and the profit of 12.1 mil. kroons (0.77 mil. euros) were achieved in the first half of the year. The net sales escalated by 15% and the profit by 25% compared to the previous financial year. In the 2nd quarter, the net sales of the division totalled 23.6 mil. kroons (1.5 mil. euros) and the profit 6.7 mil. kroons (0.43 mil. euros). The increase was triggered by the strength of the construction sector, which kept the demand for environmentally friendly Isoplaat boards high, and the successful marketing activities in introducing Isotex interior finishing boards to builders.  An operating contract with regard to the heat generation unit, which was included in the Building Materials Division at the beginning of the year, was entered into with Fortum Termest at the end of the 2nd quarter; as a result, Fortum took the assets of the boiler house of Viisnurk on lease and hired all the staff. The Furniture Division has entered into purchase agreements for heat energy with Ülejõe Soojusvõrk and Pärnu Soojus, the subsidiaries of the Swedish company Vattenfall. Energy-related contracts provide Viisnurk with an opportunity to concentrate its human and material resources on the development of its core activities.

- As to other activities, the sale of the real estate investment of Viisnurk by the Pärnu River, which was not involved in the production process, was of significance as 2.3 mil. kroons (0.15 mil. euros) of extraordinary return was earnd. Means of transport and drivers as well as the staff involved in cleaning, maintenance and repairs of office facilities and premises were transferred from Viisnurk under the service contract with Minu Vara Lääne in the 2nd quarter of the year.


INCOME STATEMENT                                                           
thousand kroons                                                            
                                     2nd quarter  2nd quarter   Half year    Half year
                                           2003         2002        2003         2002
                                                                           
RETURN ON SALES               97,373       93,997     188,570      175,787
                                                                           
Cost of production sold       (85,014)     (78,939)   (164,862)    (151,873)
                                                                           
Gross profit                         12,359       15,058      23,708       23,914
                                                                           
Marketing expenses             (6,094)      (5,003)    (11,710)      (9,633)
                                                                           
General administrative          (3,535)      (2,497)     (6,244)      (4,993)
expenses
                                                                           
Other income                       2,784          262       3,158          513
                                                                           
Other expenses                    (777)        (407)     (1,379)        (988)
                                                                           
Operating profit                   4,737        7,413       7,533        8,813
                                                                           
Financial income and           (2,112)      (2,573)    (4,322)     (5,069)
financial expenses
                                                                           
NET PROFIT FOR THE PERIOD  2,625     4,840       3,211        3,744
                                                                           
Basic earnings per share          0.58         1.08         0.71         0.83
Diluted earnings per share       0.58         1.08         0.71         0.83


INCOME STATEMENT                                                           
thousand euros                                                             
                                    2nd quarter  2nd quarter   Half year    Half year
                                         2003         2002        2003         2002
                                                                           
RETURN ON SALES               6,223      6,007      12,052       11,235
                                                                           
Cost of production sold       (5,433)    (5,045)   (10,537)      (9,706)
                                                                           
Gross profit                           790          962       1,515        1,529
                                                                           
Marketing expenses              (389)        (320)       (748)        (616)
                                                                           
General administrative           (226)        (160)       (399)        (319)
expenses
                                                                           
Other income                        178             17        201           33
                                                                           
Other expenses                     (50)          (25)        (88)         (64)
                                                                           
Operating profit                      303          474         481          563
                                                                           
Financial income and              (135)        (165)       (276)       (324)
financial expenses
                                                                           
NET PROFIT FOR THE PERIOD  168          309         205          239
                                                                           
Basic earnings per share           0.04         0.07        0.05         0.05
Diluted earnings per share        0.04         0.07        0.05         0.05


BALANCE SHEET                                                   
                                Thou. kroons Thou. kroons  Thou. euros Thou. euros
                                   30.06.2003  31.12.2002   30.06.2003  31.12.2002
                                                                
Cash and bank                    2,693       1,764           172          113
Customer receivables         54,736      54,143        3,498       3,460
Other receivables                1,915       1,916           122          122
Prepayments                      4,472       4,447           286          284
Inventories                       79,693     58,602        5,093       3,746
Total current assets         143,509    120,872        9,171       7,725
                                                                
Long-term financial             1,436        1,436             92           92
investments
Real estate investments      2,619       2,792            167          178
Tangible fixed assets       206,109    219,008       13,173     13,998
Intangible fixed assets            651         785              42           50
Total fixed assets            210,815    224,021      13,474      14,318
                                                                
TOTAL ASSETS              354,324    344,893       22,645      22,043
                                                                
                                                                
Debt obligations                34,800     38,773        2,224        2,478
Customer prepayments       1,498          620             96             40
Supplier payables              38,049      30,978        2,432         1,980
Taxes payable                    7,818        5,944          499            380
Accrued expenses             14,381      12,267          919           784
Short-term provisions                          1,493                             95
Total current liabilities        96,546      90,075        6,170         5,757
                                                                
Non-current debt            111,522    111,773        7,128         7,144
obligations
Total non-current            111,522    111,773        7,128         7,144
liabilities
                                                                
Total liabilities                 208,068     201,848       13,298      12,901
                                                                
Share capital (nominal        44,991      44,991        2,875        2,875
value)
Issue premium                  11,332      11,332           724          724
Mandatory capital reserve     4,499       4,499           288          288
Retained profits                82,223     101,855       5,255        6,510
Net profit for the year         3,211    (19,632)          205      (1,255)
Total equity                    146,256    143,045        9,347        9,142
                                                                
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND   354,324    344,893      22,645      22,043
EQUITY



Andrus Aljas
Business controller
+372 44 78355