Penetrating new markets

Ansell Healthcare Europe, the European branch of one of the world's largest protective-barrier products and safety equipment producers, is successfully implementing its strategy to enter the CEE market. After a call for shares, the firm now controls over 26.6 million shares (an 83.33-percent stake) in Polish Unimil, a leading condom producer in the region.

"We are happy that our offer and the price aroused the interest of a number of investors, both institutional and private," says Werner Heintz, Ansell's deputy president and regional director for Europe.

The price per share amounted to zł.5.90, 13.5 percent higher than the stock's value on the day before the call for shares.

Now the takeover of Unimil gives Ansell an opportunity to take a solid position on the Polish market, of which Unimil currently has a 48-percent share, as well as to slip into the German market, where Unimil has seven-percent of the market. Prior to the acquisition Ansell was not present on either market.

According to Heintz, Ansell sees a lot of opportunities for Unimil's development. The company will join one of the strongest international players on the condom market - Ansell's world market share amounts to 13 percent. Now Unimil will be able to assume the status of a regional leader.

Australia-based Ansell Limited, parent company of Ansell Healthcare Europe, operates in both Americas, Europe and Asia, and employs over 11,000 people. Ansell is a leading producer of condoms and plastic gloves made of latex or synthetic polymers. Last year its sales in Europe, the Middle East and Africa reached some $313.7 (zł.935.7) million.

Unimil's president, Grzegorz Winogradski, believes the transaction should strengthen his company.

"So far whenever Ansell has made an acquisition, the management has kept its promises. Now the acquired companies keep developing and making further investments. Moreover, Ansell is an investor from the same sector [as Unimil] and is more interested in the growth of the business and the implementation of its strategy than in the price of shares," says Winogradski.

Ansell also announced it would consider withdrawing Unimil from the WSE.