Company briefs - 2012-12-13

  • 2012-12-12

The first new diesel train of the new rolling stock of the Estonian state-owned electric commuter train operator Elektriraudtee started rolling towards Estonia on Dec. 7, reports Postimees Online. Elektriraudtee’s sales and communications manager Norbert Kaareste said that the train is traveling on the route Poland – Belarus – Daugavpils – Riga – Valga – Tallinn. Elektriraudtee gets 18 electric trains and up to 20 diesel engine trains from Stadler Bussnang AG. The first electric train arrived a few weeks ago and is now conducting test rides. The first time passengers can use the train will be at the end of June 2013. While the electric trains are purchased, diesel trains are to be leased.

Edinburgh-based Cormack Consultancy Group, which specializes in trade facilitation and knowledge transfer, has been recognized for its achievements in international markets at the Scottish Council for Development and Industry International Awards. The Brodies LLP International Award for Innovation in Product or Service Development was presented to Cormack Consultancy Group (CCG) by former U.S. Secretary of State, Madeleine Albright, in recognition of the company’s service innovation. CCG comprises companies specializing in trade facilitation and knowledge transfer. The company currently employs 20 full-time staff across its UK and overseas offices in Edinburgh, Riga, Kaunas, Moscow, Bucharest and Kolkata. Charles Cormack, managing director of CCG, is also a columnist for TBT.

With a turnover of 20.8 million lats (29.7 million euros), wood-processing equipment retailer Contiplus Riga was the leading company in Latvia’s industrial equipment sales industry, according to the Latvian Business Report 2012 collated by Latvijas Talrunis, Firmas.lv and Nozare.lv. The other top ten industrial equipment sellers in Latvia last year were Intrac Latvija with 14.2 million lats in turnover, Wiktraktor - 10.4 million lats, Husqvarna Latvija - 6.6 million lats, Toyota Material Handling Baltic - 5.7 million lats, Ecotechno Baltic - 4.4 million lats, Doka Latvia - 4.1 million lats, Infleks - 4.1 million lats, Swecon - 4.0 million lats, and Takama - 3.5 million lats. Compared to 2010, the Latvian industrial equipment sales market grew on average 30 percent in 2011. The growth of past two years can be explained by the preceding two years of recession. The volume of spare part sales in Latvia is the largest in the Baltic States, indicating that outdated and poor quality equipment is repeatedly repaired.