Rautakirja to Enter the Russian Press Distribution Market
SanomaWSOY's division Rautakirja has acquired a press distribution company OOO TK Pressekspo, which operates in the Moscow area. Pressekspo is transferred to Rautakirja from another division of the SanomaWSOY Group, Sanoma Magazines, which acquired the company in connection with the Independent Media acquisition at the beginning of 2005. The acquisition is subject to the approval of the Russian competition authorities.
The acquisition is the first step in achieving Rautakirja's goal to become the leading press distributor in the most significant market areas in Russia. In addition to Finland, Rautakirja is currently the market leader in press distribution in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Romania.
- Press distribution is one of SanomaWSOY's areas of internationalisation. Our aim is to widen our operations through acquisitions also in the future. In five years, we want to be the leading press distributor in Russia, says Erkki Järvinen, President of Rautakirja. According to Järvinen, Rautakirja has knowledge in press distribution, which can be easily used in the competed, but unconsolidated Russian markets.
Pressekspo operates in the Moscow area, where it has some 15% market share in modern single copy press distribution. The company has 113 employees. Pressekspo's customers include Sedmoy kontinent supermarket chain with some 30 outlets as well as other supermarkets and gas station chains. Mr Dimitri Lopatin will continue as the company's Managing Director.