EoW July 2012

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EuroWire – July 2012 14
News
Corporate
The eastern Europe cable industry saw
impressive growth rates from 2000-2008,
before being hit hard by the global
financial crisis. Since then the cable
industry has bounced back to become
one of the fastest growing markets
globally.
According to Integer Research’s latest
study, cable output in the region will top
US$7 billion in 2012, and demand will
reach US$6.5 billion.
“There is significant investment in the
region, from existing companies and new
entrants. The main players look entirely
different now compared to ten years
ago, when Siemens sold off many of its
operations in the region,” said Integer
Research director Philip Radbourne.
“Tele-fonika is still by far the largest cable
manufacturer in this region. It cemented
its position with the acquisition of the
leading Serbian cablemaker FKZ. It has
been exporting cable products from
Poland into Western Europe, but more
recently has focused on significant
investments in EHV power cable and a
new submarine power cable operation in
Szczecin (Stettin) on the Baltic coast.”
The only global and regional producers
with operations in more than one country
are Prysmian Group (Hungary, Slovakia
and Romania, and its subsidiary Draka
Kabely in the Czech Republic), NKT
(Poland and the Czech Republic), and
Wilms Group (Czech Republic, Romania).
“Increasingly the leading economies
such as Poland, the Czech Republic,
Hungary and Slovakia, and more recently
Romania have become intertwined
with key western European economies.
This increase in investment and shifts
in production into Eastern Europe has
seen demand for cable increase sharply
over the last decade,” said Stephen Duck,
analyst at Integer.
Integer Research – UK
Website:
Boom time ahead for
eastern Europe . . .
Lars Fagerholm, was appointed CEO of the
Maillefer group, as of 12th April this year.
Mr Fagerholm has a broad international
experience from several management
positions, specifically from his extensive
career with Albany International, the
leading global supplier of technical paper
machine clothing products to the pulp
and paper industry.
Maillefer International Oy – Finland
Website:
New chief executive