Aug 01, 2005. /Lesprom Network/. Net sales of the Myllykoski Group in the first half of 2005 totalled Euro 708 million or 2.0% more than Euro 695 million in January-June 2004. The operating profit was Euro 25 million, or 3.5% of net sales, compared with Euro 20 million and 2.9% a year ago. Net sales were boosted by slightly higher prices than in the previous year. Deliveries and production of paper, on the other hand, were lower than in the previous year as a result of stoppages caused by the labour market situation in Finland. The profit for the first six months of 2005 was Euro 5 million, compared with Euro 11 million in the corresponding period of 2004. Total output in January-June amounted to 1,133,000 tonnes i.e. 3.1% lower than in the previous year. A contributory factor to the fall in production was the labour market conflict that began in the middle of May and continued until the end of June, bringing Myllykoski Paper and Sunila to a halt. Otherwise, the general world market situation for paper continued to be satisfactory. The European market came under increasing pressure with the absence of Finnish deliveries, which account for one third of printing paper. Myllykoski is a major independent paper industry group operating in the main European markets and in North America. The roots of the Finnish parent company, Myllykoski Corporation, go back to 1892. The group’s products - wood-containing and recycled fibre based uncoated and coated printing papers, as well as newsprint, are distributed to printers, publishers and mail order companies worldwide.