Victim of its own success

Feed a sunflower regularly with mineral-enriched water and it will grow tall, but will be weak and flaccid and might even collapse under the weight of a mature flower. This is what is happening to Orco Property Group. The stem may not yet have snapped, but only with the aid of a crutch provided by a Paris courtEmil Górecki The company has a short but fascinating history. It was founded in 1991 by Jean-Francois Ott, who is still the president and shareholder, and also by Olivier Jacques André Rouchaud, who pulled out after a few months. In the first few years of its life, Otto expanded the company in the Czech Republic through acquisitions in Prague’s Vinohrady district, among others. Orco owned 15 buildings in 1999 and decided to invest in nearby Budapest. The company grew and made its debut on the Paris Stock Exchange the next year. DTZ estimated the value of its property portf