Vienna International Construction Industry News

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

A-Tec: No Agreement Yet

According to the boss of the Kreditorenschutzverbandes (KSV, Creditor Protection Association), Hans-Georg Kantner, there will still be no solution on today Monday. Negotiations are still underway.

November 8, 2010

Strabag Intensifies Russian Business

Deripaska´s Rasperia repurchases 17 percent of STRABAG. In addition, Strabag acquires a 26 % stake in Russian construction company and signs a € 350 million contract.

November 8, 2010

Strabag: Time is Running Out for Deripaska

The re-entry of Deripaska into the largest Austrian construction group is to be fixed still this weekend. His comeback has been expected for several weeks.

November 5, 2010

A-Tec: Compromise Between Banks and Creditors

The creditors of the ailing industrial group A-Tec have been able to reach a compromise with the banks to provide further financing for the Group.

November 5, 2010

Wienerberger Records More Profits, but Less than Expected

Wienerberger AG recorded a 7% year-on-year increase in operating EBITDA to € 82.2 million for the third quarter of 2010. However, analysts expected even more.

November 3, 2010

Strabag and Alpine Suspected of Cartelization

Damages for 2 billion euro (2.8 billion dollars) are said to be the result of forming a construction cartel for motorway construction in Slovenia.

November 3, 2010

Strabag CEO Haselsteiner: Koralmtunnel Has To Be Built

Haselsteiner reacts sharply to criticism of the construction of the Koralm tunnel. He sees the infrastructure measure as economically sensible.

November 2, 2010

A-Tec: Financing Only Secured Until January

The plan of the creditors' committee was rejected. The Banks are consulting with each other for the financing of the ailing A-Tec group, after which the creditors’ committee will present a new proposal to the credit institutions.

November 2, 2010

A-Tec: Banks Working on Counter-Proposal

After the fruitless negotiations, the banks plan to draw up a counterproposal. In addition, a British investor is showing interest in joining.

October 30, 2010

Kovats in Distress: Rescue Package Must Stand Firm by Monday

The coming days are of utmost relevance for Mirko Kovats’s insolvent A-Tec Group. The rescue package must be ready by Monday.

October 29, 2010

Wienerberger Plans Full Takeover of Semmelrock International

The purchase of the remaining 25% stake in Semmelrock International has been announced today. Wienerberger regards the acquisition as a “logical step”.

October 29, 2010

STRABAG Builds the Koralm Tunnel

The controversial project will be built by the construction group Strabag. The total investment amounts to around 600 million euro.

October 28, 2010

A-Tec Restructuring: Kovats Hands Over 25.1%

The banks inject new money into the insolvent company; Kovats has no longer the majority. If restructuring fails, the banks have realization authority.

October 28, 2010

A-Tec: Will 100 Million be Given Up by the Creditors?

The creditors' committee deliberates today on how the company will continue existing. Mirko Kovats, founder and CEO of the company, wants to make a "substantial contribution" to the issue.

October 27, 2010

Deripaska Again at Strabag

After Deripaska’s decision, and successful talks with Strabag boss Haselsteiner, the Russian oligarch is a partner in the construction group again.

October 25, 2010

A-Tec Creditors: Minimum Rate Too Low

While an early agreement with the banks seems imminent, the legal minimum quota offered to the creditors of the insolvent A-Tec group is not enough. Staff’s resentment is also being felt.

October 22, 2010

Wienerberger: Slow Upwards Trend Again

The process is still slow, but the Group is able to participate immediately in the recovery with its existing capacity.

October 21, 2010

A-Tec Offers a 30% Quota

CEO Kovats is trying to rehabilitate his insolvent company with the help of creditors.

October 21, 2010

The Next Acquisition: STRABAG Buys Gaul-Group

The German Gaul-group, a regional market leader for construction materials, has been bought by STRABAG for strategic reasons.

October 20, 2010

Bond Refinancing Collapsed: A-Tec Starts Insolvency Proceedings

After several problems with the refinancing of its corporate bond, A-Tec decides to start a restructuring.

October 20, 2010

A-Tec Wins Major Contract for Project in England

A project in Australia is currently bringing A-Tec financial problems. A new project, however, offers prospects of success.

October 19, 2010

A-Tec CEO Kovats: Refunding After 2nd November Possible

“There will be a solution.” Discussions with investors continue.

October 18, 2010

Strabag Expands its Competence in Bridge Building – New Order in Poland

Strabag SE, a large construction company in Central and Eastern Europe, signed an agreement to build a new bridge complex in Toruń, Poland.

October 18, 2010

Strabag renews € 2 billion syndicated surety loan

Strabag SE has concluded the renewal of a syndicated surety loan (SynLoan) with a consortium of 17 international banks led by Deutsche Bank and Raiffeisen Bank International (RBI).

October 13, 2010

Coface CEE Top 500 - Poland Largest Number of Companies in CEE

Poland has the largest number of companies in the Central and Eastern Europe Top 500 with 28.4%. Hungary ranks second with 16.6%, overtaking the Czech Republic, which is home for 13.8% of the CEE Top 500.

October 12, 2010

Zumtobel Closes Loss-Making Plant Space Cannon in Italy

Zumtobel, the shareholder of the company Space Cannon VH SRL, based in Fubine (Piedmont), a specialist in façade and event lighting and a member of the Zumtobel Group, has filed for liquidation.

October 7, 2010

Zumtobel Opened Light Center in Shanghai

More than 120 architects, designers and business partners enjoyed the Zumtobel opening gala for the new Light Center in Shanghai.

October 7, 2010

Hypo Alpe-Adria: 25% of the Slovenian Merkur DIY Chain Put Up for Sale

Hypo Alpe-Adria-Bank International has put up for sale a 25% share of Merkur, the insolvent Slovenian DIY and home improvement products chain, in the daily newspaper "Delo”

October 5, 2010

Alpine: New 140 Million Euro Motorway Contract in Poland

The construction company from Salzburg is to build an 18-kilometer motorway section for almost 140 million euro.

October 5, 2010

Skylink: Position on the Report of the Audit Court

The contents of the Rechnungshof (Audit Court, RH) report is said to be prejudicial; the Airport Board will submit its opinion today.

October 4, 2010

Vienna now has its own Expat Center

In Vienna, the first Expat Center in Austria was opened. The project was handled by the Vienna Business Agency (former WWFF).

September 30, 2010

Rehau invests EUR 2 million into office centre in Guntramsdorf

Polymer producer Rehau is to invest more than EUR 2 million into the modernisation of its Austrian office centre in Guntramsdorf, near Vienna.

September 30, 2010

Russian Machines: Siegfried Wolf Obtains a Stake and Receives Clear Voting Rights

Siegfried Wolf, one of the two former top executives of Magna International not only changes over (as reported) to Oleg Deripaska's “Basic Element” company, but will also have a stake in it.

September 29, 2010

Deripaska: Back to Austria as Strabag Shareholder?

In 2 weeks, on October 15, the deadline expires for Oleg Deripaska to re-purchase his 25% share of the domestic construction company Strabag for about half a billion euro.

September 29, 2010

Strabag acquires property und facility management service provider in the Czech Republic

The acquisition of 100% of ECM Facility a.s., Prague garantes the number 5 position in property & facility management in the the Czech Republic.

September 20, 2010

Austria's Management and Supervisory Boards’ Salaries on the Test Bench

The partly state-run OMV had the most expensive board of all Austrian corporations in 2009. In total, the oil company spent 10.2 million euro on its bosses, 23.4% more than the previous year.

September 20, 2010

A-Tec's Subsidiary AE & E: CFO Brandt Moves to Sulzer

AE & E’s CFO, Juergen Brandt, will be CFO of the Swiss industrial group Sulzer. Jürgen Boggild moves to the Board.

September 20, 2010

Asfinag Bond: The Motorway Operator Picked Up 1.3 Billion Euro

The local motorway operator Asfinag picked up 1.3 billion euro on the capital market.

September 14, 2010

XXXLutz takes over Slovenia's largest furniture retailer

The furniture store XXXLutz recently took over Slovenia’s largest furniture retailer Lesnina.

September 10, 2010

Bauhaus arrives in Bulgaria via Vienna

The German do-it-yourself group Bauhaus, which controls all its CEE business from Austria, has ambitious plans for Bulgaria.

September 10, 2010

CA Immo International completes first phase of DIY store OBI in Romania

Construction phase one of the retail development project in Sibiu has been concluded - DIY store OBI opens with 9,700 sqm of usable space.

September 2, 2010

Strabag cutting down losses

The construction company increased its backlog by ten percent, the number of employees fell by six per cent, the net loss was cut in half.

August 31, 2010

Strabag sells joint venture share to Sberbank

Strabag sold its 49 percent share of the housing-development joint venture to the Russian Sberbank.

August 23, 2010

Schoeller-Bleckmann Oilfield Equipment AG publishes half-year results

SBO, listed on the ATX market of the Vienna Stock Exchange, was able to take advantage of the increasingly rebounding market environment in the oilfield service industry in the first half of 2010.

August 18, 2010

Airports International - third capital repayment

This third capital repayment follows the initial capital repayment amounting to €2.25 per certificate at the beginning of June 2009, and the second capital repayment amounting to €0.70 per certificate at the end of October 2009.

August 18, 2010

Wienerberger approaching “black zero”

In the first half of 2010, the building materials group registered a loss of €39.4m. One year ago it was about €200m. Forecasts however remain cautious.

August 17, 2010

RHI AG to be the sole shareholder of Didier Werke AG.

The legal proceedings against a resolution adopted at the AGM of Didier-Werke were concluded today.

August 17, 2010

Strabag signs a deal in Abu Dhabi

The German subsidiary Züblin is the consortium manager for the construction of a new port Strabag scored a deal for the construction of the new port in Abu Dhabi, the company reports in a press release. Via the German subsidiary Züblin as lead manager

July 21, 2010

A-Tec Industries announces changes on Management Board

Christian Schrötter, CFO, today informed the company´s Supervisory Board of his decision not to extend his contract.

July 21, 2010

Andritz receives major order for new stainless steel works from China

International technology Group ANDRITZ has received an order from Fujian Fuxin Special Steel Co. Ltd. to supply major components and systems for a new stainless steel plant in Fujian Province, China.

July 20, 2010