Ice-cream producers Ekko and Augusto merger to create Nasze Lody brand

In a further development of the merger between Kalisz-based ice-cream producer Augusto and Sczecin-based Ecco, Augusto is going to enlarge the company's initial capital to issue new shares. Those shares will be granted to Artur Zlotnicki, the owner of Ekko and thanks to whose contribution a joint company called Nasze Lody, "Our Ice Cream," will be created. Augusto will take the majority of shares in Nasze Lody, but the exact number is still unknown. Augusto and Ekko are still talking with other ice cream companies, but even without another partner their merger will give them the leading position on the market with an 18% share, since their biggest competitor Algida has 17%. Zlotnicki announced that after finalizing the merger and uniting the two distribution chains, a financial investor will then be sought. Further decisions about promotion plans and the decision to make the brand name either Augusto or Ecco will be delayed until 2002. The costs of the merger itself are estimated at several million zlotys.(Puls Biznesu, p.7)