"Litokol-AM" Armenian-Italian Joint Venture Of Production Of Constru

"LITOKOL-AM" ARMENIAN-ITALIAN JOINT VENTURE OF PRODUCTION OF CONSTRUCTION GLUES OPENS IN YEREVAN

ARMENPRESS
May 12, 2009

YEREVAN, MAY 12, ARMENPRESS: "Litokol-AM" Armenian-Italian venture of
production of construction glues for ceramic tiles officially opened
today in Armenia with the participation of Armenian Prime Minister
Tigran Sargsyan. The venture has been established jointly with the
"Imex Group" company. In the newly opened factory which is a branch
of world famous "Litokol" company production of putty is also intended
in the nearest future.

The symbolic red ribbon of the opening of the factory was cut by the
Armenian Prime Minister Tigran Sargsyan who stressed the importance
of realization of such a project. Congratulating on the occasion of
opening of the factory T. Sargsyan expressed wish that such initiatives
carry a continuative character. According to him, the opening of the
factory proves that it is possible to develop the business and make
investments even in the conditions of the crisis. T. Sargsyan said
that this is also a result of Armenian-Italian nearly 10 years’ of
cooperation "which testifies that it is possible to make investments
in Armenia and have a profitable business".

Head of the Armenian Union of Manufacturers and Businessmen Arsen
Ghazarian said that he was glad that in the conditions when in the
whole world numerous enterprises are liquidated and closed and job
places are reduced, a new factory is opened in Armenia which at present
has 35 workers and intends to significantly increase the number in
the nearest future. He assessed it as a brave step conducted from
trade towards the industry.

Financial head of "Litokol" Fabio Placci told journalists that the
overall productive capacity of this factory constructed within the
frameworks of 10 million USD of investment reaches 30 000 tons but
at the initial round the annual production of glue volumes will reach
12-15 000 tons.

The whole productive capacities will be implemented in case the putty
production is launched. F. Placci said that assessing the existing
demand in the Armenian market the whole size of glue produced at the
initial round – 15 000 tons are intended to be consumed here.

"I suppose we will be able to satisfy half of the need for the
product existing in this market", – he said. According to F. Placci,
the glues and other materials necessary for construction produced by
"Litokol" are for already several years imported in Armenia and widely
consumed. Now a transit is being made from import to production.

F. Placci expressed confidence that the materials of Armenian
production will not concede the Italian ones in respect of quality
but the prices will remain the same. "We plan to be in the Armenian
market for along time", – he said and also informed that "Litokol"
also conducts production in Russia and Ukraine.

During the production local raw materials will be used; at the
beginning 50-60 000 tons of sand, 30-40 000 tons of cement will be
used, nearly 355 000 kilowatts/h electricity and 456 000 cubic meters
of gas will be consumed.

In case of passing to the whole productive capacity an export to Iran,
Georgia and Turkey is also intended.

Executive director of "Litokol-AM" Hamazasp Lazarian stressed that
all the security norms are ensured in the factory. It is filled up with
qualified equipments of Italian and German production. The production
contains no air pollution threats. There will be no exhausts because
the factory is armed with a modern dust grasping system.

The factory also has a laboratory saturated with modern equipments
where continuative quality checking of the raw material and the
ready-made product are conducted.