New Merloni president does not exclude buying Amica

Giuseppe Parma, the new general director of Merloni Indesit Polska, has presented plans concerning the household equipment manufacturer. He does not exclude purchasing a stake in his main competitor, Amica, which could help Merloni in becoming the leader on the market. "For the time being we are not pursuing this idea, but we are carefully watching the market," he admitted. Parma revealed that Merloni intends to spend around zł. 78 million on investments. The Łódz-based factory, which exports 80% of its production, is of cardinal importance for Merloni, as in the first half of the year it increased its turnover by 28% in comparison to the first half of 2002, with revenues amounting to EUR 1.4 billion. "Growth was mainly generated by our Polish division," explained Parma. Merloni has 700 employees and controls a 10% share of the Polish household equipment, placing it third after Whirlpool and Amica. (Puls Biznesu, p. 7) K.Z.