Friday, May 18, 2007

Usha Martin plans to buy European distribution co

Usha Martin Ltd, the world’s second-largest maker of wire rope, is close to acquiring a European distribution company which will give it a greater access to more lucrative wire rope market in the continent.

Rajeev Jhawar, managing director, Usha Martin, said the investment in the deal will be small, involving about $2-3 million (Rs8.2-12.3 crore). He declined to give further details.

However, he added that this investment would be an incentive to expand the manufacturing base. The company will be pitching in about $15 million over the next three years to raise the UK plant’s current capacity of 6,000 tonnes per annum (accounting for just 7% of Usha Martin global production) to 10,000 tonnes per annum.

The distribution arm that Usha Martin is looking to acquire, will push the company’s turnover in Europe past the $100 million mark, said P. Bhattacharya, joint managing director, Usha Martin. The various operations of the company in Europe generate a revenue of about $84 million, he added.

The company also plans to enter China, opening a liaison office at Shanghai or Guangzhou to sell its high-end speciality ropes in China. Company officials said they are open to the idea of setting up a production base in China if the market warrants it.

Read more in The Live Mint article.

No comments: