OREANDA-NEWS. July 09, 2008. The Finnish food concern Atria is about to acquire two Estonian meat processing companies, Woro Kommerts and Vastse-Kuuste Lihatoostus, reported the Official website www.investinestonia.com.

The deal covers 97,7 percent of the Woro Kommerts stock, Atria said.

The transaction is subject to approval by the Estonian competition watchdog whose go-ahead Atria hopes to obtain in July.

Atria believes the consolidation of the new acquisitions could start in August. The parties have agreed not to disclose the price of the deal, the group said in a press release.

Established in 1993, Woro Kommerts is a company specializing in the production of meat products. It is Estonia's second-largest meat processing company by market share (according to AC Nielsen's 2008 data, 13 percent). In 2007 Woro Kommerts posted sales of 155 million kroons (EUR 9,9 mln) and employed some 170 staff.

The 1994-founded Vastse-Kuuste Lihatoostus employs approximately 140 people and reported sales of 138 million kroons in 2007. Its market share is 6 percent according to AC Nielsen's 2008 data.

Atria bought in 2005 the Estonian meat processor Valga Lihatoostus whose sales in 2007 were 363 million kroons. Combined with the operations of Woro Kommerts and Vastse-Kuuste Lihatoostus, Valga Lihatoostus is going to be the second-largest player in the Estonian meat processing market, with net sales of approximately 657 million kroons.