and a positive future
Group was making. We were pleased with the Russia and the Ukraine. Russia is challenging. “Now, though, the Group stands firmly on
quality and commitment of many of the new We have an injection moulding factory in St. two legs – metal production in Srubex;
people that we recruited but, sadly, it became Petersburg dedicated to products for Russia plastics, logistics and packaging here in
clear that the problem was too deep-rooted and Kazakhstan, required because the Wroclaw.”
and beyond reasonable solution.” continental climate creates extremes of heat Already there have been significant
Radoslaw Koelner is upbeat, though, about and cold. We are one of only three companies changes at Srubex. Grade 5.8 production has
performance elsewhere in Western Europe. with Russian approval for insulation fixings.” ceased entirely. “We are scrapping 1,200
“Right now Ireland is our best performing “It is the scale of business in Russia that is tonnes of redundant machinery, something
branch although the construction market is important. We are strong in products that we we will be able to show to the European
flat if not falling off. That’s why we are manufacture ourselves: not so strong in the Commission investigator when he visits.
introducing new products there to trading products where local competition is There is no way to make money
compensate – we have a great team and I fierce. Our approach to business is not the manufacturing this grade of product – we
expect Ireland to go on performing very well. same as some Russian companies, making it can buy this product from China for less than
France, too, has shown quite good growth difficult to compete on these products. We the cost of rebar. If this is fair competition
compared with two years ago.” make good business, it is profitable, but we then I am from the moon!”
The powerhouse of the Group, of course, make it very carefully. We reinvest the profits “The future lies in utilising the
continues to be Poland where Koelner engineering strengths of the people at
expects to achieve sales of around 85 Srubex with production technology that
million euros this year. “Poland is delivers a much greater return on fixed
performing very well. We have a very costs. Nearly 20% of production is
motivated team. This is a generation of already dedicated to automotive parts
Polish people that has had to work to and we are having very interesting
achieve what they need; they are hungry discussions with the major players in
to succeed. Maybe the next generation will Europe. We have a new Can Eng
not be so hungry but right now, if you furnace, which has increased the
provide the right organisation to support efficiency of heat treatment, Nedschroef
them, the right products and prices, they machines capable of producing 240
perform exceptionally.” from our Russian company but there are parts per minute, and lots of other positive
Elsewhere in Central and Eastern Europe many other markets for us to invest in that, changes.”
Group operations are taking full advantage of frankly, are more straightforward. Russia is a “I need another two years to change
vibrant economies. Radoslaw Koelner very promising, very fast growing market but everything. Right now it is around 60%
highlights Hungary; “There we have one of it is complicated.” complete. Antidumping, which I am sure will
the most modern and best performing “The Ukraine is different. The people are be applied, will come at a crucial time for
Koelner branches in Europe.” Similar to Czech naturally drawn to the European way. Maybe us. We are committed to investing and
Republic and Slovakia he views Hungary as a it takes another ten, even fifteen, years but modernising anyway, but a tariff level of
domestic market, acknowledging that all the changes that are occurring are positive. even 20% would give us an opportunity to
three economies while continuing positive are Parts of the country are flourishing already compete profitably in the market and to win
maturing rapidly. “Unemployment in the Czech because of the raw materials they possess.” larger orders, which will help our
Republic and Slovakia is very low now. Wage “Kazakhstan is just like a Persian Gulf country efficiencies. This year we will produce
and other costs are rising. The resources of right now, in a multi billion dollar oil boom. around 30,000 tonnes from Srubex, we have
these countries are almost fully utilised. The only difficulty is the logistics of getting the capacity to double that.”
Within only a few years many things will be product there.” Back in Wroclaw there is also further
comparable with Western European What about Dubai? “In a word – great. And investment, this time in chemical production.
economies.” not just Dubai, it is also Qatar, Oman; they all “I bought shares in the Stahl Company and
“Romania and Bulgaria are newer want the biggest skyscraper and the widest we are working closely together. There is no
members to the EU. It is a similar story to multilane highway. We have operated in doubt that the plant in Germany will move
Poland in the mid 1990s – a booming Dubai for one year now. This year we will more and more to special chemical products.
economy, lots of new companies appearing, increase sales six fold over last year – the only For volume production of mainstream
lots of others disappearing. In general, factor that holds us back is producing and construction resins we need to reduce costs,
though, very promising markets.” delivering the product they need.” which is something we can do here in
His analysis of the Russia and the CIS It is a point that links to the acquisition of Wroclaw. We are also able to improve the
markets is incisive. “The Baltic states are a Srubex and a suggestion that it took a long purchasing power for raw materials as a
similar environment to here – really growing time. “We bought the first shares towards the result of the volumes we already purchase
very fast. The problem may be the linkage of end of 2006. By spring 2007 we had 34%. for plastics production. We have a very
their currencies to the euro but I think they The rest we bought up to the end of 2007. positive future.”
will go on growing for another five years or Yes, we had to be patient. This was a stock Few would challenge the same sentiment
so before the economies flatten.” exchange company so you have to follow being applied throughout this remarkable
“The biggest potential for us right now is certain rules, it is not so simple.” Group of businesses.
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