Atlas fights market slump with expansion and export drive

Atlas, the Lodz-based maker of chemical products used in construction, plans to invest up to zl.185 million next year in the renovation and expansion of its production lines. The company, facing stagnation on the local market that has caused an estimated 5% fall in its turnover this year, also plans to increase its exports by 50% within a year, mainly through an intensive sales campaign in Russia. Even so, the company remains confident about the Polish market. "The market share of the Atlas Group is now 70%, and this is not our last word," said Atlas public relations director Aleksandra Paprocka. She went on, "In the difficult situation in the construction sector, one may only develop at the expense of one's rivals. To manage this, one must use the most modern technologies." This requirement is being met by the recently opened Atlas production plant in the city of Zgierz in Central Poland. The group's management is also considering a change in its structure. "Reorganization of the group is scheduled for the Spring of 2003," said Paprocka. (Puls Biznesu, p. 8) M.K.