2013-03-05 07:48:13 -

ASPO Plc      STOCK EXCHANGE RELEASE     March 5, 2013, at 8:45 a.m.

Matti-Mikael Koskinen, 41, M.Sc. (Econ.), has been appointed the new Managing
Director of ESL Shipping Ltd, part of Aspo Group, as of May 1, 2013. He will
also serve as a member of the Aspo Group Executive Committee. Lasse Rikala, the
acting Managing Director of the company, will continue as a Board member of ESL
Shipping. Matti-Mikael Koskinen has held the position of Managing Director at
Meriaura Ltd since 2007, previous to which he worked as Meriaura's Deputy
Managing Director and Chartering Manager.

"Mikki Koskinen is an excellent choice as the Managing Director of ESL Shipping
as the company enters a new phase of development. He has experience in both dry
cargo carrier and special   vessel operations as Managing Director of Meriaura. He
is familiar with new customer and environmental requirements as well as with how
a shipping company can create added value by staying a step ahead of legislation
in developing its operations. His experience in new service concepts for
shipping companies and his views on vessels utilizing environment-friendly
technology were essential to his selection as the new Managing Director says Aki
Ojanen, CEO of Aspo Group and Chairman of the Board of Directors of ESL
Shipping.

Aspo has invested in modernizing ESL Shipping's stock of vessels so that it
complies with current requirements. Although the market situation is
challenging, we believe that the expertise of ESL Shipping's management and
personnel, combined with their will to further develop the company's operations,
will create significant opportunities for both the shipping company itself and
Aspo as a whole. The Arctic sea areas and transport of bioenergy are of
particular importance in making inroads into new market and customer segments,"
says Aki Ojanen.

ESL Shipping transports dry bulk materials, mainly in the Baltic Sea region; in
2012, it transported approximately 10.4 million tons. The cargo mainly consists
of ore, coal and limestone. The steel industry's share of transport was 57
percent, and the energy industry represented 31 percent. At the end of 2012, the
company's fleet consisted of 14 vessels, of which the company owned 12 in full.
One was leased and one partially owned.

ASPO Plc

Aki Ojanen
CEO

Further information:
Aki Ojanen, CEO Aspo Plc, tel. +358 9 521 4010, e-mail aki.ojanen (a)aspo.com

Distribution:
NASDAQ OMX Helsinki
Key media
www.aspo.com

Aspo is a conglomerate that owns and develops business operations in Northern
Europe and growth markets focusing on demanding B-to-B customers. Our strong
company brands - ESL Shipping, Leipurin, Telko and Kaukomarkkinat - aim to be
the market leaders in their sectors. They are responsible for their own
operations, customer relationships and the development of these. Together they
generate Aspo's goodwill. Aspo's Group structure and business operations are
continually developed without any predefined schedules.





This announcement is distributed by Thomson Reuters on behalf of 
Thomson Reuters clients. The owner of this announcement warrants that: 
(i) the releases contained herein are protected by copyright and 
    other applicable laws; and 
(ii) they are solely responsible for the content, accuracy and 
     originality of the information contained therein. 
    
Source: Aspo Oyj via Thomson Reuters ONE
[HUG#1682861]