Fazer: continues growth in Russia, buys BKK Neva

Helsinki / FI. (fg) In line with Fazers development strategy in Fazer Russia, a new acquisition has been made in St. Petersburg. A deal on purchasing the majority of shares in the bakery company BKK Neva was closed on 15 January 2009. BKK Neva is specialized in producing frozen products.

BKK Neva will become the fifth production facility owned by Fazer in Russia, in addition to the existing three production sites in St. Petersburg and one in Moscow. Fazer operates under the name Hlebny Dom in Russia. Hlebny Dom became the principal shareholder in BKK Neva with an ownership of 95 percent of the shares.

«Fazer is committed to doing business in Russia and growing its presence in various segments of the bread market, including frozen. Plans to construct a new state-of-the- art bakery announced earlier are on the investment agenda and Fazer will proceed with them as the economic environment and financial situation allow further market developments», says Managing Director of Hlebny Dom and Executive Vice President of Fazer Group Harri-Pekka Kaukonen.

Hlebny Dom has been cooperating with BKK Neva in the production of frozen dough products. The integration of Neva into Fazer will allow to further develop Fazer´s strategy to expand its presence in Russia by exploring the frozen segment market, the group says in a statement.

BKK Neva was created in 1991 and it specialises in the production of frozen dough semi-finished products. Apart from frozen products, the factory produces ready-made bakery and confectionery products. The products are sold in St. Petersburg, the North-Western region of Russia and Moscow.

«BKK Neva has operated in the sphere of frozen, bakery and confectionery products for a long time and it is also a long-time partner of Hlebny Dom», says the newly elected General Director of BKK Neva, Sergey Stepkin. «We have set as our task to modernise the bakery within a short time, to widen its assortment and to make it the leading company producing frozen products in the North-West. We expect the cooperation to render us increased sales and to create new job opportunities».