Investors could be shouting 'mine's a double' if Polmos Białystok merges

The leading vodka producer on the domestic market, Polmos Białystok, which the State Treasury plans to privatize, wants to merge with fellow distiller Polmos Toruń. "At the request of the Treasury Ministry we prepared a financial analysis of the merger," stated Sergiusz Kościej from Polmos Białystok board. According to Puls Biznesu, the analysis proved that a merger would be justified and now the government has to decide whether the companies should join forces or if Polmos Białystok will go public soon. The consolidation is strongly supported by the employees of Polmos Toruń. They fear jobs losses and the sale of the company’s assets if Elana, a company owned indirectly by Polish businessman Roman Karkosik, buys their firm. It is not clear, however, what would be the reaction to the merger of Polmos Białystok's potential investors, which include American Carey Agri, Polmos Lublin (owned by Janusz Palikot), Sobieski Dystrybucja and the British Allied Domecq. So far Janusz Palikot has been skeptical about the merger. (Puls Biznesu, p.5) E.B.