EPH enters Slovenia

17. 12. 2020

Slovenian Railways and EP Logistic International a.s. signed an Investment and Shareholder Agreement based on which the parties entered into a strategic partnership.  According to the Agreement, the parties will create a joint venture company whose capital will consist of 100% share of Slovenske železnice – Tovorni promet and Fersped (contributed by Slovenian Railways) and an agreed amount of cash (contributed by EP Logistics International) specified in the above Agreement.

„Both partners, EPLI and SŽ have the ambition to jointly turn the JV company into a major rail and logistics operator in South Eastern Europe, unlocking full potential of SŽ-TP and Fersped assets. The underlying plan is to service region-wide customers through own licensed structures operating modern and efficient rail hardware (e.g. multi-system locomotives, etc.) and create profitable, cost efficient, and dividend-paying business,“ said Tomáš Novotný, Chairman of the Board of EPLI.

In addition to the Slovenian domestic market, our goal is to concentrate on the markets of the Western Balkans (Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia, Montenegro), Italy, Austria and Hungary, while increasing the prominence of Koper as a local cargo hub.

EP Logistics International declared that, should opportunities arise for expansion of joint operations, it is willing to commit additional financing for the joint venture company.

SŽ-Tovorni promet (“SŽ-TP”) and Fersped offer comprehensive and intermodal freight rail, maritime, road and air logistics services on the Slovenian market as well as abroad, achieving annual revenues around EUR 200 million.
EP Logistics International, a.s. (“EPLI”) is a wholly owned subsidiary of Energetický a průmyslový holding, a.s. (“EPH”) and serves as a holding company consolidating EPH companies specialized in logistics and transportation, with activities ranging from railway operations, including forwarding, rolling stock lease, intermodal operations, to loco- and personnel-pooling activities in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Hungary and Germany. In 2019, total revenues of companies consolidated in EPLI reached EUR 200 million.