Edipresse expands in east Europe

Edipresse publishes some of Switzerland's best known titles Keystone

The Lausanne-based publishing group, Edipresse, is to buy two Polish magazines and merge with the German company, Axel Springer, in Romania.

The acquisition of two high-end women’s magazines in Poland continues a strategy of expansion through buying up publications that are already well established in the market. Last year, Edipresse became Poland’s leading publishing house.

Next month, it will move its 280 Polish employees into a prestigious new headquarters in the heart of the capital, Warsaw.

“The strategy in Poland is really part of an overall strategy which focuses on smaller and emerging markets,” Edipresse chief financial officer Chris Bolton told swissinfo.

“We believe that the major European markets such as Germany, Britain, France and Italy are saturated, with very limited growth potential.”

“On the other hand in emerging markets like eastern Europe and Latin America, we see potential for tremendous future development and growth, and our strategy is to be first mover, to be one of the first publishers to go into such markets,” he added.

Merger with Axel Springer in Romania

Meanwhile, Edipresse is also participating in a regrouping of the Romanian publishing sector through a merger with the German company, Axel Springer.

Axel Springer will make up 40 per cent of the new company. Libedi, a joint enterprise of Edipresse and the Greek group, Antonios Liberis, will make up the other 60 per cent of the new venture, RPG.

“The country has been slower taking off than we expected when we entered in 1998 but there are now some encouraging signs and we believe that this joint venture strengthens significantly our position in the market and gives us a great platform for future growth,” Bolton told swissinfo.

swissinfo with agencies