Oerlikon opens office in Moscow for better prospects

With official opening of their office in Moscow, the Oerlikon Group is underlining their intention to target the Russian market in the future.

Business relationships have already been initiated with a current turnover of approx. CHF 50 million. "Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States offer great potential for us in the medium and long-term.

Our portfolio of industrial high-tech solutions, the dynamics of the Russian national economy plus a close partnership with our investor Renova provide optimal pre-requisites for rapid expansion into this important economic zone", says Dr. Uwe Krüger, CEO of Oerlikon.

"Oerlikon is an important partner in the development of a Russian high tech industry", says the Chief Investment Officer of the Renova Group and Vice-President of the Board of Directors of OC Oerlikon, Vladimir Kuznetsov.

With 170 locations in 35 countries, Oerlikon is very well represented globally. The company has grown strongly in the past few years especially in the Asian region, almost 40 per cent of its turnover being produced in the Far East.

Eastern Europe and Russia in particular still have a great deal of development potential. "The Russian national economy finds itself in a fundamental change with the high tech sector gaining more and more importance", states Kuznetsov.

The Russian national economy has been growing in the last few years at a rate of 6 - 7 per cent per year. In 2007, foreign investment in the Russian economy amounted to USD 82.3 billion.

The time has come for Oerlikon to enter the market. By 2010, Oerlikon wants to more than double the current turnover of CHF 50 million to over CHF 100 million. To this end, the company will concentrate on the following market segments: - Oerlikon Textile: Oerlikon Textile has been active in Russia/CIS for more than five years already and is market leader for rotary spinning machines. Further growth is expected for applications in particular for geo-, hygiene- and home textiles as well as for vehicles and tires. - Oerlikon Coating: The developing Russian industry offers vast potential for surface coating. A first coating centre is planned in Elektrostal near Moscow and should start operating in 2009. - Oerlikon Vakuum: With customers such as Gazprom, Pillar, or Avtovaz, Oerlikon Leybold Vacuum is already the leading Western supplier in Russia. Sales should be doubled in the next three years with the market introduction of new products and the expansion of the marketing and service network. - Oerlikon Drive Systems: Started in 2006 with the first activities, the strongly growing Russian vehicle industry offers many toeholds for Oerlikon Drive Systems, in particular for commercial vehicles. A further focus of Oerlikon's activities in Russia concerns the future market in Nano technology. The Russian government has published a development programme of up to EUR 8 billion in order to lead Russian nano research and industry to world-class success in the next few years. Oerlikon will bring in their know-how as a development partner and, together with Russian institutions and companies, will develop products and solutions. "For Oerlikon, too, nano technology has become a key technology which is pinpointing new ways in practically every field of business", says Oerlikon CEO Krüger.

OC Oerlikon Management AG