36.6 buys Zdravnik drugstores

36.6, the federal chain of drugstores, acquired Yekaterinburg-based chain Atoll Pharm. Some experts believe this could be an approximately $15m transaction that gives 36.6 a chance to achieve the leading position on the Ural market – a desirable target for all the federal players at the moment. Rigla, the company’s major rival, as well as O3, a chain of pharmacies recently bought by Protec, Rigla’s proprietor, also have some outlets located in Yekaterinburg. Atoll Pharm had 45 stores in August 2006 and mainly competed with the local Zdravnik and Zhivika and Pharmacia, the state-owned chain.

‘So far, the employees of Zdravnik Pharmaceutical Chain haven’t been told that the company is going to be acquired by 36.6, a large federal player,’ the company’s Marketing Director Olga Pushkarskaya said to UrBC. ‘Even if the chain owners reached any business-selling agreements, there has been no official address to employees to that extent, though it may appear at the end of the week,’ Ms Pushkarskaya observed. In the meantime, RBC daily reported on April 11, 2007 that 36.6 was about to acquire Yekaterinburg-based Zdravnik Pharmaceutical Chain.

Simphonia, the mobile phone dealer, has bought a number of Tsifrograd chain stores in Yekaterinburg, Novouralsk, and Kamensk-Uralskiy lately, the company’s spokesperson said to UrBC representative. According to the company’s Commercial Director Andrey Starodubtsev, the amount of money involved in the transaction will not be revealed for the time being. ‘This acquisition has to do with the redistribution of the market shares among the core players. We are going to make the best of the stores we’ve bought,’ Mr Starodubtsev said.

Russian Retail Growth Fund (managed by Svarog Capital Advisors) acquired a shareholding in Auto Plus Group, both companies report. Auto Plus Group’s GD Pavel Shestopalov says the fund has bought their additional share issue, while the former owners’ shares have gone down proportionally. Vedomosti reports RRGF paid $45m for the share issue, whose actual percentage in the company’s authorized capital has been kept confidential. Auto Plus Group comprises Toyota Center Yekaterinburg Zapad, Lexus Yekaterinburg, Auto Plus Sever (a used cars dealer), and Auto Plus Rent a Car. The first rumors

March 11, 2015. Binbank bought 99.84% of Yekaterinburg-based Uralprivatbank’s shares; the issuer will be able to manage the shareholding starting from March 6, the two banks report. Binbank Board of Directors approved of a merger with Uralprivatbank, so the latter’s branches will now operate under the name of Binbank. The fact that the Moscow bank was going to acquire Uralprivatbank transpired in mid-January. The cost of the transaction has not been announced. As a result, Binbank will now run over ten branches in Sverdlovsk Region.