Business news from Ukraine

Kyiv-based Myasnyi Rai chain of stores is up for sale

The Myasniy Rai chain of stores, known for its high-quality meat products, announces the sale of its assets and trademark. The offer opens up new opportunities for investors and entrepreneurs seeking to develop their business in the retail sector.

The Myasniy Rai chain was founded in 2017 and quickly gained the trust of customers due to its high quality products and focus on local suppliers. The first store was opened on Shevchenko Boulevard, after which the chain was constantly expanding, opening new outlets. During 2018-2022, 8 stores were opened. The total investment in business development and support amounted to more than $700,000. Now Myasnyi Rai includes three stores, a production shop, a coffee shop and an online store providing a wide range of products for customers.

Key assets:

  1. A store at 32a Olesya Honchara Street, opened in 2018. Area: 130 m²; Assortment: fresh meat, sausages, frozen food, spices, sauces; Special features: focus on quality products and local suppliers;
  2. Store at 2 Generala Almazova Street, opened in 2022. Area: 109 m² Assortment: similar to the store on Gonchar Street
  3. The store at 24 Serhiy Danchenko Street, opened in 2022. Area: 95 м². Assortment: similar to the previous stores
  4. The production shop opened in March 2020. Area: 211 м². Capacity: up to 12,000 kg of frozen products per month. Products: sausages, smoked meats, salads (sold in the retail chain).
  5. A coffee shop on Honchar Street, opened in July 2020. Area: 70 м². Assortment: hot drinks, pastries, desserts, snacks. Special features: a cozy place for meetings and relaxation, located in the business center of Kyiv.
  6. The online store has been open since 2018. Assortment: fresh meat, sausages, frozen food, spices Services: delivery in Kyiv, convenient online ordering system.

Advantages and prospects

The Myasnyi Rai chain offers a unique opportunity for investors to enter the food market with a ready-made, well-established business.

Main advantages:

  • Registered trademark “Meat Paradise”, which ensures brand recognition.
  • High quality products and a positive reputation among local residents and restaurants.
  • Developed marketing strategy with an active social media presence and loyalty programs.
  • Potential for further expansion in both retail and manufacturing.

This offer for sale is an ideal option for entrepreneurs who want to invest in a stable and profitable business with broad development prospects. For more information, please call +380 67 230 00 17.

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Cherkassy company invested EUR1.6 mln in line for production of glazed cheesecakes

PJSC “Yuriya” (Cherkassy), producer of dairy products under TM “Voloshkove Pole”, has invested EUR1.6 mln in modernization of production facilities of its enterprises and put into operation a new line for production of glazed cheesecakes, said the general director of the enterprise Andrey Tabalov.

“This is one of the largest investments of the enterprise in 2024 in the amount of EUR 1.6 mln. Lithuanian automated line “PAKMA” will allow to produce additional 4 thousand cheesecakes hourly. It will increase the production capacity of glazed cheesecakes by 40%. This large-scale investment was planned within the framework of modernization of PJSC “Yuria” for 2024 and is a conscious decision in such a difficult time for the country, – he wrote in Facebook.

As reported, the producer of dairy products under TM “Voloshkove Pole” in 2023 invested EUR1.5 million in the installation of the line “Tetrapak” to double the production of ultra-pasteurized milk, which intends to sell on the domestic market and export.

The company posted a UAH 46.773 million net loss in 2023, compared with a net profit of UAH 85.34 million a year earlier. The company’s revenue decreased by 1.35% to UAH 1.6 billion, assets by 1.5 times to UAH 1.048 billion, and debt obligations by 24.7% to UAH 1.279 billion. At the same time the number of personnel increased by 14 people to 913 employees.

Yuriya PJSC is the successor of Cherkassy Municipal Dairy Plant with a design capacity of 25 tons of raw material processing per day.

The company has subsidiaries “Yuriya-2” – a network of branded stores and kiosks in Cherkassy and “Yuriya-trans” – a trucking company, which delivers raw materials and materials for processing, products to retail outlets, as well as provides other transportation services.

The raw material area of the company is Cherkassy, Kirovograd, Poltava, Kyiv and Vinnitsa regions. Milk is collected in more than 200 settlements.

The beneficiaries of the enterprise are Alexander and Andrey Tabalovs.

 

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“Metinvest” increases capital investments in Pokrovskugol, Kametstal and Central GOK

In 2023, Metinvest B.V. (Netherlands), the parent company of Metinvest Mining and Metallurgical Group, increased capital investments in Metinvest Pokrovskugol, which manages the enterprises of Pokrovskoye Coal Group (PGU), by 15.6% year-on-year to $126 million from $109 million.

According to a corporate presentation published on the Irish Stock Exchange on June 4, Metinvest increased its capex investments in Kametstal by 5% in 2023, to $42 million from $40 million.

Capex at Central GOK increased by 6.7% to $16 million from $15 million.

At the same time, the Group reduced investments in Northern GOK by 29.5% to $31 million from $44 million, in United Coal (USA) by 47.5% to $21 million from $40 million, in Ingulets GOK by 58.1% to $13 million from $31 million, and in other assets by 53.3% to $35 million from $75 million.

In general, Metinvest reduced its capital investments in 2023 by 19.8% compared to 2022, to $284 million from $354 million, while $65 million was invested in the steel segment last year ($99 million in 2022) and $213 million in the mining sector ($244 million).

At the same time, it is noted that the share of the mining segment in 2023 increased to 75% of total investment (+6% compared to 2022), the share of investments in capital repairs increased to 86% of total expenditures (an increase of 6% compared to 2022), while strategic investments amounted to 14% of the total.

The priorities of capital expenditures affected by the war were affected by the implementation schedules of strategic projects in accordance with the actual production configuration and the identified optimization measures. At the same time, the development of the strategy for key projects is ongoing. Maintenance projects continue to be implemented to ensure an adequate level of output capacity and provide technology to increase production at the Ukrainian assets after the end of the war.

In addition, the group has taken a number of measures to minimize potential damage in case of emergency power outages.

As reported, Metinvest’s consolidated net loss in 2023 amounted to $194 million, while in 2022 it reached $2.193 billion (down 11 times). Revenue fell by 11% from $8.288 billion to $7.397 billion in 2022, while EBITDA fell by 54% to $861 from $1.873 billion. At the same time, the steel sector’s revenue decreased by 15.2% to $4.846 billion, and the mining segment’s revenue decreased by 0.8% to $2.551 billion. Adjusted EBITDA of the Group’s steel division decreased by 40.4% to $159 million, and of the mining segment by 50.2% to $770 million.

“Metinvest is a vertically integrated group of steel and mining companies. Its enterprises are located in Ukraine – in Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Dnipro regions, as well as in Europe.

The main shareholders of the holding are SCM Group (71.24%) and Smart Holding (23.76%), which jointly manage it.

Metinvest Holding LLC is the management company of Metinvest Group.

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Vodafone doubles investments in energy independence

Following the attacks on the energy infrastructure in March and April, Vodafone has decided to double its planned investments in energy independence this year. Following this decision, the company plans to purchase additional generating capacity and autonomous power supply systems worth UAH 438 million. Total investments in the network’s energy resilience in 2022-2024 will exceed UAH 674 million.

Vodafone is investing in new types of batteries for its communication facilities. To improve reliability and extend the autonomous power supply time of its base stations, the company has already purchased 13.5 thousand batteries of a new lithium-ferrous type (LiFePO4). Such batteries are much better adapted to harsh operating conditions with frequent and prolonged power outages. Vodafone plans to purchase an additional 4,612 such batteries in 2024.

In addition, Vodafone will increase its generating capacity. More than 1.5 thousand base stations are already powered by generator sets, including the company’s own stationary and mobile generators, as well as generator sets of partners and customers. During the war alone, the company purchased about 500 mobile generators and the auxiliary equipment necessary for their operation. In 2024, the number of generating equipment of various types will increase by another 280 units.

Today, more than 700 partner generators ensure the network’s operation during outages, and this number is constantly growing. Vodafone is open for further cooperation – companies that have a diesel generator set and are ready to share its capacity to provide communication for their company and other subscribers within the base station coverage area can send a letter to no_blackout@vodafone.ua. Vodafone experts will be happy to discuss the details of possible cooperation.

During previous emergency outages, the company has already used more than 1,094 tons of diesel and gasoline. Vodafone’s power engineers have also ensured sufficient diesel and gasoline reserves to generate electricity to keep the grid running during the blackouts. To minimize the risks of a shortage of certain types of fuel and diversify fuel supplies, including on a regional basis, the company has increased the number of wholesale fuel suppliers with whom it has signed contracts and made significant fuel reserves.

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CRH has cumulatively invested more than $500 million in Ukraine over 25 years

CRH Group, the largest building materials manufacturer in North America and Europe, has invested $80 million in Ukraine over the course of the full-scale invasion. Guillaume Cavalier, President of CRH in Central and Eastern Europe, told Forbes Ukraine that the group’s total investments in Ukraine over 25 years of work amount to more than $500 million. According to him, in the context of rebuilding infrastructure in Ukraine, it is important to use cement produced locally, which will provide jobs and higher revenues to the state budget.

Cavalier emphasized that for the potential growth of the Ukrainian cement market after accession to the EU, it is important to invest in the expansion of production facilities now. He reminded that the Antimonopoly Committee of Ukraine (AMCU) is currently considering CRH’s application to acquire assets of Italian Buzzi in Ukraine – cement plants Volyn-cement (Zdolbunov, Rivne region) and YuGcement (Olshanskoe, Mykolayiv region).

As reported, on January 23, AMCU reported about the beginning of consideration of the case on concerted actions in the form of fulfillment of provisions on refraining from competition, enshrined in the concentration agreement between the Irish group CRH and Dyckerhoff GmbH, which own assets in Ukraine.

In June 2023, Italian cement producer Buzzi, listed by the National Agency for the Prevention of Corruption as an international sponsor of war, through its subsidiary Dyckerhoff GmbH, reached an agreement to sell part of its business in Eastern Europe to Irish group CRH, including Ukrainian assets in the form of two cement plants. The transaction is expected to close in 2024.

Later, in September 2023, the AMCU returned CRH’s application for concentration without consideration due to non-compliance with the requirements, and also noted that the group occupies about one-third of the Ukrainian cement market. In October of the same year, the agency reopened the case.

CRH has been operating in Ukraine since 1999. Since November 2021, its cement enterprises in Ukraine have been operating under the Cemark brand: Podolsk Cement JSC (Khmelnytskyi oblast), Cement LLC (Odessa) and Mykolaivcement PJSC (Lviv oblast).

A separate business area of CRH in Ukraine is production concrete and reinforced concrete products. PoliBeton Energo’s Bila Tserkva Reinforced Concrete Plant is a specialized enterprise that produces supports for power transmission lines. PoliBeton’s concrete unit in the north of Odessa joined CRH in 2020.

CRH is a leading manufacturer of construction materials in the world. The company employs about 71,000 people at its 3,200 plants in 28 countries. It is the largest producer of building materials in North America and Europe. The company is also present in Asia. American depositary shares of CRH are listed on the New York Stock Exchange.

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NBU announces implementation of largest package of easing of currency restrictions

The National Bank of Ukraine says it is implementing the largest package of easing currency restrictions for businesses since the start of the full-scale war to improve the conditions for doing business in Ukraine and the entry of domestic businesses into new markets, as well as supporting economic recovery and facilitating the inflow of new investment into the country.

“First, all currency restrictions on imports of works and services are abolished. Second, the ability of businesses to repatriate ‘new’ dividends is ensured. Third, the possibility to transfer funds abroad on leasing/renting is provided,” the NBU said in a press release on Friday evening.

“Fourth, restrictions in terms of repayment of new external loans are relaxed. Fifth, the possibility to repay interest on ‘old’ external loans is provided. Sixth, restrictions in terms of transferring foreign currency from representative offices in favor of their parent companies are relaxed,” the regulator added.

It is specified that these and a number of other technical changes were introduced by the NBU Board Resolution No. 56 of May 3, 2024 to the so-called “military” Resolution No. 18 of February 24, 2022. The vast majority of the document’s provisions come into force from May 4, 2024, and only in terms of repatriation of new dividends – from May 13, 2024.

The regulator believes that this will support Ukrainian producers and provide them with the opportunity to enter foreign markets, which in turn will contribute to a gradual increase in export revenues.

It is indicated that repatriation of dividends by businesses will be allowed only for dividends accrued based on performance after January 1, 2024.

“This relaxation does not apply to the payment of dividends at the expense of retained earnings for previous periods or reserve capital,” emphasized the National Bank.

In addition, the regulator set a monthly limit for repatriation of “new” dividends at EUR1 million equivalent in order to minimize risks to macro-financial stability. It is noted that control over compliance with this norm will be ensured thanks to the NBU’s automated information system “E-limits”.

“Providing an opportunity to repatriate “new” dividends will contribute to the inflow of new investments in Ukraine, minimize the risks of curtailing the activities of enterprises with foreign capital and support the economy,” the National Bank believes.

As for the easing of restrictions on servicing and repayment of “new” foreign loans and repayment of “old”, the NBU has reduced the minimum period of use of the loan, the funds for which come from abroad after June 20, 2023 on the accounts of residents, from three to one year, when reaching which it is allowed to buy foreign currency for its repayment. Thus, the ban on the purchase of foreign currency for repayment of “new” loans will apply to loans for up to one year.

In addition, the NBU will allow businesses, regardless of the period of use of “new” loans to buy foreign currency to pay interest on them.

“All this will contribute to increasing opportunities for Ukrainian businesses to attract new external loans not only from official partners, but also from private investors,” the release said.

Moreover, according to it, resident borrowers will be able to make transfers in foreign currency to repay interest on “old” external loans, which, according to the terms of the agreement, are payable from February 24, 2022. However, under one loan agreement for interest payments overdue as of May 1, 2024, borrowers will be able to transfer no more than 1EUR million equivalent per calendar quarter.

Also, according to the release, legal entities and individual entrepreneurs will be able to transfer funds abroad for settlements under leasing or rental contracts without additional restrictions on the subject of such a contract, as well as the date of its conclusion.

The National Bank reminded that previously such permission was only for leasing or renting vehicles.
Regarding the permission for representative offices of foreign companies to transfer foreign currency to the accounts of parent companies, it is specified that the central bank will allow international card payment systems and foreign airlines to buy and transfer foreign currency abroad to the account of a non-resident legal entity, but for such operations will be set a monthly limit of EUR5 million in equivalent.

According to the regulator, this will contribute to further development of cashless settlements in Ukraine.

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