Arcelor molds plans for increased investment in Poland

This year, Arcelor plans to invest EUR80 million in its Warsaw subsidiary. "We have started the construction of a rolling mill," said Roland Junck, the vice-president of Arcelor. The investment will cost about EUR50 million and will be launched next year. Arcelor estimates that by 2008 it will have spent EUR124 million in Poland, apart from the EUR77 million it spent on taking over Huta Warszawa (Warsaw Steelworks). Investment in highly specialized production is a preventive measure against a merger with Mittal Steel. "The groups differ significantly," said Roland Junck. According to Mittal Steel, the companies are complementary to each other, which is the argument for the merger. (Puls Biznesu, p. 1, 8) JL