Gallic curiosity piqued by Pekaes potential
And interest in the company has already come in the form of France's largest haulier, Norbert Dentressangle (ND), which has approached the State Treasury for a slice of the action.
While Pekaes proved reticent to comment on its share offer (which would not involve the state's stake - currently exceeding 51 percent), the firm is known to be seeking zł.100 million from the floor to upgrade its fleet and move into the rail transport sector. And as it woos investors' capital, the firm is clearly putting out feelers for Ukrainian partners.
"We have received an offer of cooperation and we have held talks with Pekaes management," Konstantin Litvinov, the representative of Ukrainian steel giant Industrial Union of Donbas (IUD) in this country, confirms. However, IUD, currently embroiled in an ownership struggle with LNM Holdings over the Huta Częstochowa steel mill, seems unlikely to sink any capital into Pekaes itself.
"We do not treat it as an offer for Donbas specifically, but rather for Ukrainian business in general," Litvinov reveals.
But while IUD remains uninterested, the business potential of Pekaes in the enlarged EU has certainly aroused French passions, with ND approaching the Treasury with an offer to offload some of its Pekaes stake its way.
Indeed, ND sees great things afoot for the Polish transport market. In terms of movements between France and Poland alone, Arnaud Delescluse, the firm's business manager for Eastern Europe, envisages the market growing by 30-40 percent at least over the next five years.
"It will [grow] to the same level as between France and England," he reveals, which, given that the company's vehicles make on average 650 cross-Channel trips a day, represents a sizable jump in freight movements.
Furthermore, fuelled on by the flattening of borders, Delescluse believes significant growth will occur between the new EU states of the CEE. Yet while Pekaes cranes its neck eastward, Delescluse is less excited by the former USSR, saying that ND would not really consider venturing further east for some time.
And while Delescluse declined to comment on the details of its Pekaes proposal, a Treasury spokesperson confirmed it has been approached by "a potential investor," but stated it is too early to say how much of its Pekaes stake might be up for grabs.
While Pekaes proved reticent to comment on its share offer (which would not involve the state's stake - currently exceeding 51 percent), the firm is known to be seeking zł.100 million from the floor to upgrade its fleet and move into the rail transport sector. And as it woos investors' capital, the firm is clearly putting out feelers for Ukrainian partners.
"We have received an offer of cooperation and we have held talks with Pekaes management," Konstantin Litvinov, the representative of Ukrainian steel giant Industrial Union of Donbas (IUD) in this country, confirms. However, IUD, currently embroiled in an ownership struggle with LNM Holdings over the Huta Częstochowa steel mill, seems unlikely to sink any capital into Pekaes itself.
"We do not treat it as an offer for Donbas specifically, but rather for Ukrainian business in general," Litvinov reveals.
But while IUD remains uninterested, the business potential of Pekaes in the enlarged EU has certainly aroused French passions, with ND approaching the Treasury with an offer to offload some of its Pekaes stake its way.
Indeed, ND sees great things afoot for the Polish transport market. In terms of movements between France and Poland alone, Arnaud Delescluse, the firm's business manager for Eastern Europe, envisages the market growing by 30-40 percent at least over the next five years.
"It will [grow] to the same level as between France and England," he reveals, which, given that the company's vehicles make on average 650 cross-Channel trips a day, represents a sizable jump in freight movements.
Furthermore, fuelled on by the flattening of borders, Delescluse believes significant growth will occur between the new EU states of the CEE. Yet while Pekaes cranes its neck eastward, Delescluse is less excited by the former USSR, saying that ND would not really consider venturing further east for some time.
And while Delescluse declined to comment on the details of its Pekaes proposal, a Treasury spokesperson confirmed it has been approached by "a potential investor," but stated it is too early to say how much of its Pekaes stake might be up for grabs.
