[LETTERHEAD OF KADANT]
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                                                                    Exhibit 99.1

Investor contact: Thomas M. O'Brien, 978-776-2000
Media contact: GreatPoint Communications, 978-392-6866

                Kadant Announces Pricing of Public Stock Offering


ACTON, Mass., June 14, 2002 - Kadant Inc. (ASE:KAI) today announced that it has
sold on an agency basis 1,300,000 shares of Kadant common stock at a purchase
price of $14.62 per share, for aggregate gross proceeds of $19,006,000. J.P.
Morgan Securities Inc. acted as placement agent. The company expects this
transaction to close on Wednesday, June 19, 2002.

     Kadant intends to use the net proceeds from the offering for working
capital and other general corporate purposes, including financing growth;
developing products; capital expenditures to be made in the ordinary course of
business; acquisitions of businesses, products, and technologies that complement
or expand its business; and to repay or repurchase outstanding debt.

     A registration statement relating to these securities has been filed with
and declared effective by the Securities and Exchange Commission. This press
release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to
buy, and these securities cannot be sold in any state in which this offer,
solicitation, or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification
under the securities laws of any such state.

     Kadant Inc. is a leading supplier of a range of products for the global
papermaking and paper recycling industries, including de-inking systems,
stock-preparation equipment, water-management systems, and papermaking
accessories. The company also develops and manufactures composite building
materials produced from natural fiber and recycled plastic. Kadant is based in
Acton, Massachusetts, and employs approximately 1,100 people worldwide.

     The following constitutes a "Safe Harbor" statement under the Private
Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: This press release contains
forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties.
Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from
those indicated by such statements are set forth under the heading
"Forward-looking Statements" in Exhibit 13 to the company's annual report on
Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 29, 2001, as amended. These include
risks and uncertainties relating to the company's: dependence on the paper
industry, international operations, competition, ability to manufacture and
distribute composite building products and the long-term performance of such
products, acquisition strategy, dependence on patents and proprietary rights,
fluctuations in quarterly operating results, and financial covenants and other
obligations arising from the spinoff of the company from Thermo Electron
Corporation. We undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking
statement, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

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