Heidelberger and Carmeuse to join forces on limestone venture in Poland

Gorazdze Cement, a subsidiary of German building materials producer Heidelberger, is close to completing talks on a joint-venture in Poland with Belgian company Carmeuse. Heidelberger and the Belgian investor would each take a 50% stake in the new company, called HC Lime, which would take over Gorazdze's two limestone firms, Gorazdze-Wapno and Wapno Sabinow. Carmeuse financial director Yves Willems said the company is still interested in state-owned limestone producer ZPW Trzuskawica. The Belgian firm had been selected by the Treasury for exclusive negotiations on taking over Trzuskawica, but then asked for the talks to be postponed. The Treasury began talks with another investor, CRH of Ireland, but Willems says there is still a possibility that HC Lime will invest in Trzuskawica. Last year Gorazdze-Wapno and Wapno Sabinow recorded combined revenues of zl.49 million, with their share in the quicklime segment estimated at 13.4%. (Rzeczpospolita, p.B4) T.J.