Ukraine's EFI mulls investing up to $250 mln in agri-processing, infrastructure plants

MOSCOW. Aug 14 (Interfax) - Ukrainian investment company EFI Group is considering raising $230 million-$250 million of financing to build two new plants in the Cherkassy region.

EFI Group director of development Sergei Pinkas announced the plans for the project and the construction of an industrial park at a meeting with the regional authorities and business representatives, Ukrainian media reported, citing the group's website.

One of the future plants would operate in the agri-processing sector and the other in the infrastructure sector.

Cherkassy region is becoming a key destination for investment from EFI Group, and this would be a unique project for Ukraine, Pinkas said. The two plants could be located on 45 hectares and infrastructure for industrial and business parks in the town of Smela could be built on 20 hectares, he said.

Such a large business would motivate entrepreneurs in the region to develop their capacity and set up new companies that could be located at the industrial park, Pinkas said.

"Our two plants will provide additional work for about another 50-70 businesses in the region. This is intermediate consumption and money that will remain in the region," he said.

EFI Group, founded in 2007 by businessman Igor Liski, invests in the paper, food and wood processing industries, healthcare and medtech and distribution of agricultural products. The group includes Feednova, a producer of animal fats and feed additives for animals; the MedZirka chain of healthcare centers and an online medical hub; Zhitomir Cardboard Factory, a producer of cardboard packaging; a lumber mill; and agricultural product distributor Efi-Agro.