Finnish loss making furniture group Isku will split up into five separate companies at the end of 2003 in a move to adjust production to the present low demand and to increase profitability, it was reported on May 16, 2003. Isku has sent staff on forced leave and has cut jobs as part of its cost cutting programme. The group currently has 1,850 employees, which is Isku's lowest personnel number since 1996. Isku is headquartered in Lahti, southern Finland, and has subsidiaries in Sweden, Norway, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. The group's operations are divided into five divisions, Isku Kotikalusteet specialising in home furniture, Isku Julkiskalusteet producing office furniture, Isku Keittiot specialising in kitchen furniture, Isku Teollisuus producing solid timber, panel parts and other wooden products, and the real estate unit Isku Kiinteistot. Isku posted a net loss of 1.6 mln euro ($1.86 mln) for 2002, compared to a net loss of 4.5 mln euro ($5.2 mln) for 2001. The group decreased its net loss in spite of the significant drop in demand for home and office furniture. Isku increased its operating profit to 1.5 mln euro ($1.74 mln) for 2002 from an operating profit of 900,000 euro ($1.04 mln) for 2001. The group's turnover went down 2.0 pct year-on-year to 205 mln euro ($237.6 mln). Its solvency ratio stood at 47.2 pct for 2002.