Voest Alpine Stal could soon challenge IPS

By the end of the year, VAS is to choose between Poland, Czech Republic or Slovakia as the location for its steel processing center. However, this is just the beginning, as the company is reportedly looking into building a whole new steel mill. Meanwhile, Poland's leasing steelmaker, Ispat Polska Stal (IPS) is behind schedule on its investment plans, but Frantisek Chowaniec, president of the company, vows that this will change. IPS is to build a new zł.865 million steel rolling facility in Kraków by the end of 2006, to supply the automotive and white goods industries. In October 2006 IPS plans to launch a zł.430 million continuous molding plant in the Katowice Steel Mill. (Puls Biznesu, p. 5) T.J.