News Parkiet

Telecommunications

Długie Rozmowy goes to court

against TPSA

Alternative carrier Długie Rozmowy says it will go to court against Telekomunikacja Polska (TPSA), Poland?s national phone company over its refusal to allow access to customers, despite a deal the two firms signed in September 2004. Warsaw-based Długie Rozmowy is demanding 9 million zloty in compensation in its first lawsuit. Total claims against France Telecom subsidiary, including claims for loss of profits, go as high as 190 million zloty.

Restaurants

Bird flu won?t hurt AmRest, comapny says

Polish KFC fast food outlet operator AmRest Holdings says it expects record earnings this year despite the recent bird flu scare. The company, which runs 173 KFC outlets in Poland and in the Czech Republic wouldn?t publish an official estimate, but said its earnings would be higher than last year?s PLN 12 million.

Alcohols

Ambra buys stake in Romanian firm

Wine distirbutor Ambra S.A. said it has agreed to pay an equivalent of 0.95 million zloty for a 14.7 percent stake in Romania?s oldest wine-maker, S.C. Zarea. It now owns almost a quarter of the company. Ambra refused to say if it plans to raise its stake in Zarea.

Food industry

Beer sales up 4.2 pct.

Third-quarter beer sales were up 4.2 percent this year, officials from an industry association said at a conference yesterday. Total sales by major brewers that are part of the Association of Beer Inudstry Employers reached 9.3 million hectoliters. No. 1 beer maker, SABMiller?s Kompania Piwowarska reported an 11.5 percent increase in sales (by volume). KP?s market share rose to 38.5 percent, some 5.4 percent more than Heineken?s Żywiec brewery, no. 2 on the local market.

Utilities

Fortum makes a bid for MPEC

Finland?s Fortum has made a deal with the city of Wrocław to buy controlling stake in district heating company MPEC for an estimated 500 million zloty. It said it would buy all outstanding shares of MPEC, a listed company with 70 million euro in annual sales, including the stake now held by Energie Baden-Wurttemberg, which now owns 18.7 percent voting stake in MPEC.

Venture capital

GTECH adds to PolCard stake

US lottery services company GTECH bought an 11 percent stake in PolCard, Poland?s biggest credit and debt card processing company from Innova Capital venture capital fund, raising its stake in nearly 75 percent. Innova officials said after the sale PolCard may be listed on the WSE at some point in the future.

Transportation

Investment firm buys Pekaes

Private equity group AKJ Management Logistyka said shareholders of Pekaes trucking company have agreed to tender 50 percent less one share of the Warsaw-based firm. AKJ ML said its offer for widely held Pekaes was 40 percent oversubscribed. It paid nearly 158 million zloty for control over the company.