Briefs

PLN 500 mln for cement plant

The dry building materials manufacturer Atlas, based in £ódŸ, has plans to invest PLN 500 mln (EUR 124.3 mln) in the construction of a cement plant, which is to be located near Opoczno in central Poland and be complete by 2006. The plant will use limestone deposits for cement production.

Last year's drop in cement sales

2002 witnessed a 1.3% drop in cement sales last year to approximately 11.3 mln tonnes, from 11.45 the year before. Domestic companies' sales fell by 4.5% to 10.79 mln tones and the import of cement more than doubled to 550,000 tonnes, from a level of 204,500 tonnes in 2001, according to statistics released by the Association of Cement and Lime Producers. Exports fell 42% to 457,000 tonnes compared to the previous year.

CSO on construction in December

According the Polish Central Statistical Office, the rate of construction in Poland, which includes both investment and modernizing work, decreased 10.4 % compared to December 2001 but increased 37.1% on November 2002's figure.
Growth was visible in all types of company including civil engineers, subcontractors and installation firms. Construction last year was 10.5 % lower than in 2001.

Kingspan close to acquiring factory in Poland

Kingspan, one of Ireland's biggest buildings' materials manufacturers, is currently involved in negotiations to acquire a factory in Poland, but as yet the company have not commented on which concern is the potential seller, though the British Sunday Times wrote that it was Tarmot, reportedly one of only two Polish polyeurathene filled-sheet producers. Tarmot currently owns two factories in Poland.

Application for Mostostal Zabrze's bankruptcy

Inkasso-Reform, a debt-collecting company, has applied to a court for Polish general constructor Mostostal Zabrze's bankruptcy, according to the Polish daily 'Puls Biznesu'.
Inkasso-Reform is now in possession of debts amounting to PLN 400,000, owed by Mostostal Zabrze Hurtownia Materia³ów Budowlano-Sprzêtowych, a daughter company of Mostostal Zabrze, though the latter's representatives are questioning its responsibility for the former. Mostostal Zabrze are however committed to paying off the debt, should the court decide they must.

Swedish constructor to divest its stake in Prin¿

The Swedish constructor NCC has decided to sell its shares in the Polish road construction firm Prin¿, because it no longer wants to hold a minority stake. It had considered extending its 47.1 % holding but discussions with the other owner Mostostal Zabrze, failed to make the required progress. A spokesperson from NCC Polska was quoted by the Swedish financial daily newspaper, Dagens Industri.

PIA Piasecki goes to court

General constructor PIA Piasecki has asked a court to force investor Królewska, owners of the Centrum Królewska office building, to pay what it owes them and claim that there are a number of outstanding invoices, which along with interest and the constructor's guarantee amount to around PLN 6 mln.

Deutsche Asphalt wins road-building contract

The German road construction company Deutsche Asphalt GMBH has won a PLN 41.7 mln, (EUR 10.4 mln) contract to build a ring road in Piaski near Lublin, eastern Poland, which will form part of the motorway near the Polish Ukrainian border. Eight companies participated in the tender for the contract.
Work on the road will be carried out with the Lublin unit of the Polish General Directorate of National Roads and Motorways (GDDKiA) and the World Bank is to finance 75% and the Polish government the rest of the project, which is due to begin in March 2003 and be complete in September 2004.