Vienna International Construction Industry News

Read the latest headlines about developments in the international construction industry in Vienna and Austria

Austria: Alpine’s Bankruptcy Claims Amount to € 4.15bn

In regard to construction company Alpine’s insolvency, creditors have so far registered claims in the amount of € 4.15bn, as announced by liquidator Stephan Riel in the run-up to Wednesday’s examination hearing.

October 8, 2013

Strabag Lands Highway Construction Deal in Hungary

Austrian construction company Strabag has landed a deal for building a highway section in return for € 106m.

October 8, 2013

Porr: Capital Increase and Rise in Profits Expected

CEO of listed Austrian construction company Porr Karl-Heinz Strauss is still in favor of a capital increase in 2014 or 2015 and calls upon the government to create “projects for the future”.

October 7, 2013

Wifo: Austrian Economy Sees Upturn

Today the Austrian Institute for Economic Research (Wifo) has released its prognosis for 2013 and 2014. The institute sees the first signs of an economic recovery.

October 4, 2013

Alpine: Almost All Former Employees Have New Jobs

Because of the construction company’s bankruptcy, almost 5,000 employees lost their jobs. Currently 133 persons are still looking for a job.

September 24, 2013

Porr Lands Ikea Contract in Poland

The Austrian construction company Porr has landed two contracs in North Poland for a total volume of € 150m.

September 24, 2013

WKO: Austrian Enterprises Miss out on Potential in Turkey

According to a commercial councelor at the Austrian Chamber of Commerce (WKO) in Istanbul, Austria is focused too much on Eastern Europe. Switzerland exports triple the amount to Turkey.

September 19, 2013

Romania: Austrian Investors Demand Transparency

In an interview with Business Review Romania, Rudolf Lukavsky, commercial counselor for Romania and Moldova at the Austrian Embassy described the downsides and advantages of the economic environment in the country.

September 17, 2013

Strabag Lands Major Order in Sweden

Strabag developing and building infrastructure highlight Orgelpipan 6 at Stockholm's Citybanan commuter station.

September 16, 2013

Austria: Construction Company Porr to Buy Prajo-Group

Take over as an ideal supplement for the portfolio of Porr in the demolition and recycling sector.

September 13, 2013

Romania: Construction Industry to Grow by 1.9 Percent

The growth rate in the construction industry is even higher than economic growth in real terms.

September 12, 2013

Romania: Chinese Investors to Support Infrastructure Projects with € 3bn

According to the Romanian Infrastructure and Foreign Investments Department (DPIIS), investors from China will support the construction of new highways and electricity generating power plants in the amount of more than € 3bn.

September 11, 2013

Haselsteiner as Candidate for NEOS

Austrian party NEOS has added former CEO of Strabag Hans-Peter Haselsteiner as top candidate for the parliamentary elections. Haselsteiner has so far supported the party behind the scenes.

September 5, 2013

Alpine: Creditors in Austria and Poland Claim Refunds

Not only the labor market in Austria is burdened but also thousands of creditors have invested in bonds of the construction company and are now facing enormous losses.

September 4, 2013

Polish Alpine Files for Bankruptcy in Vienna

More affiliates of Alpine are affected.

September 3, 2013

German Affiliate of Alpine Sold

By the selling of the German affiliate of construction company Alpine 520 out of 1,250 employees will lose their jobs.

September 2, 2013

Turkey Wants to Become 9th Largest Economy by 2050

Turkey is hoping to become the ninth largest economy worldwide by the year 2050. Growth rates will be around 5.2 percent in the years from 2012 to 2017.

August 30, 2013

Alpine: Nine out of Ten Former Employees Have a Job

90 percent of former Alpine employees have a new job. However, 404 persons are still looking for a new employment.

August 30, 2013

Massive Losses for Alpine: € 5bn in Debts

According to the reports of the insolvency administrators, reasons like a chaotic management and low-price offers that did not prove cost-covering led to massive losses in projects abroad.

August 29, 2013

Alpine: Former Employees to Receive Wages

Almost 5,000 former employees of bankrupt construction company Alpine can feel relieved as this week the insolvency contingency fund will start with settlements. However, creditors will only be given a rate of five percent.

August 27, 2013

Austria: Debts of Alpine Increase to € 3.7bn

Gerhard Weinhofer of creditor protection association Creditforum counts with a “micro quota” for creditors of bankrupt construction company.

August 23, 2013

Leitl: “Austria Screwed Up”

If the US, as the perpetrator of the financial and economic crisis, shows two percent in economic growth, while Austria only 0.2 percent, then this was a “disgrace”, Leitl announced during the economic forum in Alpbach.

August 21, 2013

Eurozone: Minor Increase in Construction Production

In the construction sector, seasonally adjusted production rose by 0.7% in the euro area (EA17) and by 0.8% in the EU27 in June 2013, compared with the previous month, according to first estimates released by Eurostat.

August 20, 2013

Austria: Alpine Creditors Register € 2.29bn

The downfall of construction company Alpine, the biggest bankruptcy in the history of the second Republic, has not been finished yet.

August 19, 2013

Austria: Construction Costs to Decrease Slightly

Construction cost index for residential buildings increased by 1.8 percent in July 2013.

August 16, 2013

Romania: GDP Slowed Down in Second Quarter 2013

Romania: GDP slowed down in Q2, as expected by RBI.

August 16, 2013

Austria: Alpine-Energie to be Taken Over by Triton

Former affiliate of construction company Alpine Bau Alpine-Energie, which is based in Linz and was temporarily “parked” with a special company, has a new owner.

August 13, 2013

Wifo: Economic Growth with Brakes On

Economic upswing will take time. Considering the individual branches an uneven picture emerges.

August 9, 2013

Drastic Output Decrease in Czech Construction Sector

In June 2013 the construction output declined by 11.1%, year-on-year (y-o-y).

August 6, 2013

Alpine: Financial Difficulties Existed Longer Than Assumed So Far

The crisis of insolvent construction company Alpine goes back much farther than assumed so far. The company had problems in 2009 already to settle invoices.

July 27, 2013

Austria: 82 Percent of Alpine Employees With New Jobs

After the construction company’s bankruptcy, 82 percent of Alpine employees have found a new job again. Around 100 persons are still working on the winding up of the company.

July 25, 2013

Alpine Inable to Pay in Mid-2012 Already

Former CFO supposed to have asked Spanish parent company FCC for liquidity assistance in the amount of € 115m, otherwise “we are dead”.

July 24, 2013

Construction Industry Shrinks Drastically in Czech Republic and Poland

Euro area production in construction down by 0.3% and down by 0.2% in EU27.

July 17, 2013

Austrian GDP Growth Above European Average

In 2012, Austria saw a growth of GDP of 0.9 percent which is signifantly above the European average.

July 12, 2013

Czech Republic: Gloomy Prospects for Economy

The Czech economy is shrinking. According to experts, new Prime Minister Jiri Rusnok will not be able to change much. Enterprises have started to cut back on investments.

July 12, 2013

Alpine Bankruptcy Hits Clients Hard

According to real estate experts problems for home builders have just started.

July 10, 2013

Alpine Holding to be Shut Down

The closing down of Alpine Holding is only a “formality”. According to Österreichischer Verband Creditreform (ÖVC), a credit protection association, “a restructuring of the debtor is not planned and not possible”.

July 9, 2013

Alpine: Enormous Credit Default Rate

The rate for Alpine creditors declines day by day while the rate of the Trade Unions is immense. Almost all employees of Alpine were looking for help and advice.

July 8, 2013

Alpine: Serbia to Withdraw from Contract

Serbia intends to withdraw from the building contracts for the construction of a highway with bankrupt Alpine within the next 15 days.

July 3, 2013

Alpine Holding: Insolvency Proceedings Now Official

The insolvency proceedings for Alpine Holding have now officially started at the Commercial Court in Vienna. Liabilities come at € 700m.

July 2, 2013

Alpine: 2,600 Jobs Secured

Social Minister Rudolf Hundstorfer assumes that a lot of Alpine employees will continue to be employed. Former CEO Schiefer announced that Alpine was “clinically dead” when he took over management in April 2013.

July 1, 2013

Austria: So Far Three Construction Companies Involved in Take-Over of Alpine

1,800 employees of bankrupt Alpine can feel relieved. In all probability three Austrian construction companies (Habau, Swietelsky and Hinteregger) will be involved in the regional rescue solution.

June 28, 2013

Alpine to Be Divided Up

Swietelsky plans to take over 1,500 employees. Strabag announced interest but remains unheard.

June 27, 2013

Alpine: Work to be Resumed At Construction Sites

Time pressure grows. Work at the closed down construction sites of bankrupt Alpine it to be resumed soon.

June 26, 2013

Raids at Hypo Group in Italy

Because of suspicions of tax fraud Hypo Group’s affiliate in Udine was searched by the Italian police.

June 25, 2013

Austria: Government Agrees on Stimulus Package

Startled by construction company Alpine’s insolvency, the Austrian government has agreed on the fiercly discussed stimulus package. An amount of € 800m is required additionally.

June 25, 2013

Alpine: Biggest Bankruptcy in Austrian History

Bankrupt-gone construction company Alpine operates at 1,400 construction sites and is supposed to complete orders in the amount of € 800m. The shutting down of the enterprise has been decided.

June 25, 2013

Alpine to Be Shut Down

Bankrupt-gone construction company Alpine is facing a breaking down. After negotiations about establishing a rescue company failed, the enterprise will apply for a shutdown.

June 24, 2013

Alpine-Insolvency: 80 Companies Affected

After an analysis by credit protection association Kreditschutzverband 1870 (KSV1870), the majority of around 1,400 suppliers and subcontractors is not affected by the construction company’s bankruptcy.

June 21, 2013

Austria: Investigations on Loan to Alpine

Apparently ailing bank Hypo Group plays a role in the bankruptcy of Austrian construction company Alpine. The bank is supposed to have granted a bridge loan.

June 21, 2013