Ursus hopes to plough strongly ahead after five years in the doldrums

Yesterday Warsaw-based tractor manufacturer, Ursus, was visited by Prime Minister Leszek Miller and Treasury Minister Wieslaw Kaczmarek, who stated that Ursus will not become, "A graveyard of the national economy." The firm is recovering after five years of restructuring. They plan to increase production and hire 500 new employees by the end of the year. Ursus should complete delivery of 100 tractors to Nigeria, with a provision for 3,000 tractors to the same market next year. Stanislaw Bortkiewicz, the president of Ursus, is also looking to increase the company's share of the spare parts market that has been dominated by fake parts. Bortkiewicz, aims to push his market share to 50% from the current 10% to 15%, which is estimated to be worth zl. 800 million in revenues. In 2001 Ursus recorded revenues of zl. 200 million with zl. 7 million net profit. (Rzeczpospolita, p. B4) P.W.