No shortage of investors for Hygienika Euro Cristal's Russian factory

Warsaw-based producer of personal hygiene products Hygienika Euro Cristal, needs money to build a factory in either Russia or Ukraine, which will cost between zł. 35-46 million. "We are in negotiations with two foreign investment funds and among the interested parties are also six Russian investment funds," said the company's president Hubert Stępniewicz. However, he would not mention any of the names of the potential investors. "Due to high custom duties and large distances, delivering products made in Poland to Russia is not profitable over the long term," explained Stępniewicz. He also stressed that current owners of the company do not intend to lose control over it, and are rather looking for a passive investor. Part of the raised capital would also be spent on boosting retail sales in Poland, which are usually sold under the private labels of hypermarket chains. (Puls Biznesu, pp. 1, 9) M.M.