PRYSMIAN SETS OFF EXPANSION IN RUSSIA BY ACQUIRING RYBINSK
ELECTROCABEL.
THE DEAL IS A FIRST STEP FOR FURTHER DEVELOPMENTS IN THE UTILITIES MARKET.
THE AIM IS TO TRIPLE THE TURNOVER IN THE COUNTRY IN THE NEXT THREE YEARS.
Milan, December 15, 2009. Prysmian sets off its first move in the expansion strategy in the
Russian market by
closing the acquisition of Rybinsk Electrocabel, one of the most dynamic Russian cable
manufacturers.
"The deal is just the first step of a broader expansion project of our Group in the Russian
market – explains Valerio
Battista, Prysmian's Managing Director -. Rybinsk's assets represent an ideal platform from
which we intend to
develop further investments, with the objective of building local production capacity in high
technology business
areas such as High Voltage and Industrial cables. Our aim is to triple the turnover currently
achieved in Russia in
the next three years."
Prysmian has acquired 100% of Rybinsk Electrocabel. The €11 million enterprise value account
for approximately
€2 million equity value and approximately €9 million Net Financial Position. In 2008 Rybinsk
reported a turnover of
approximately €36 million with a production unit located 350 km NE of Moscow, where 360
people are employed.
Upon conclusion of Rybinsk Electrocabel's assets acquisition, the second step of Prysmian's
plan in Russia includes
the building of a new manufacturing unit dedicated to High Voltage cables. Currently,
Prysmian serves the Russian
High Voltage market by importing cables from other Group's European factories.
The start up of the local production will represent for Prysmian an undoubted competitive
advantage factor and will
promote the strengthening of the Group's presence in a market with a strong potential.
Utilities and operators,
involved in the upgrade and in the development of the power transmission grids, have planned
investments with a
value in excess of €10 billion.
After a downturn phase between 2008 and 2009 due to global crisis, the Russian cable market
is expected to
recover achieving a value of around €2 billion in the next three years, with a higher growth
rate in the High
Voltage market (source: Electrocable Association Russia). Among several projects in which
Prysmian is already
involved, the development of a High Voltage network in Saint Petersburg, while in 2007/2008
the Group
collaborated with the upgrading of the Moscow transmission grid.
The investment in Russia follows other significant development projects undertaken by the
Group in businesses
with a high growth potential: the new High Voltage facility in North America, the production
capacity increase in
the High Voltage factory in China and other minor investments still in the cable market's
most strategic sectors. |