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Feb 23 2006

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Corporate Biographies 41-50

According to reports on the state-owned MENA news agency, the government is presently debating sales of 20% stakes in mills including Alexandria Flour, East Delta, Central and West Delta, North Cairo, Central Egypt, South Cairo and Giza, Upper Egypt and Giza Flour mills. The agency quoted the Food Industries Holding Company as saying it would sell more than 20% of each to anchor investors if it receives "good offers."

For more on the milling industry, see story page 110.

LISTED: 9/1995

PAR VALUE: LE 10

MARKET CAP: LE 404.14 million

TRADING DAYS: 248 (out of max of 249)

AVG DAILY VOL: 22,369 shares

AVG DAILY VALUE: LE 571,598.42

COORDINATES: El-Abd El-Gedida Bldg, Mills Complex Salam City Cairo Tel: +20 (2) 281-7233 / 280-2284 Fax: +20 (2) 280-2282 ncfm@worldnet.com.eg

42 Medical Union Pharmaceuticals

Symbol: MEDU

2005 ranking: 36

Industry: Pharmaceuticals

Employees: 948

Created in 1984 as a subsidiary of ACDIMA (the Arab League-backed Arab Company for Drug Industries and Medical Applications), Medical Union Pharmaceuticals manufactures and exports medications and other pharmaceutical products, including many under international license.

MANAGEMENT: Zakaria Ibrahim Gad (chairman and managing director)

LISTED: 1997

PAR VALUE: LE 10

MARKET CAP: LE 540.28 million

TRADING DAYS: 168 (out of max of 249)

AVG DAILY VOL: 2,318 shares

AVG DAILY VALUE: LE 35,959.84

COORDINATES: 36 Dr. Mohamed Hassan El-Gamal St. 6th Dist. Nasr City Cairo Tel: +20 (2) 270-9316 / 9535 Fax: +20 (2) 270-9315

43 Paints and Chemical Industries Company (PACHIN)

Symbol: PACH

2005 ranking: 30

Industry: Commodity chemicals

Employees: 1,022

PACHIN was established in 1958 and began operations two years later before being nationalized in 1961 and subsequently merged with three other chemical companies. Privatized in 1997, PACHIN leads Egypt's paint-producing sector, accounting for 70% of sales in architectural paints and 20% of industrial paints. The company opened a new factory complex in New Obour City in 2000 with imported equipment and the latest production technologies.

The company had a monopoly on the local market until the early 1990s. Although its market share has eroded, PACHIN has focused on innovation and remains the nation's largest paint producer with the broadest portfolio of architectural and industrial paints and coatings as well as animal charcoal and resins. It is also the country's only producer of printing inks, with an 8% market share.

It remains 39.7% owned by the Chemical Industries Holding Company, with public insurance companies, banks and funds holding an additional 5%. PACHIN has grown its paint prices 15% between 2004 and 2005 and increased its sales volume 5% in the same period to keep pace with dollar-based inflation as it imports 60% of its raw materials.

In 2005, the company boosted paint production while curbing animal charcoal and resins, both of which were loss-making divisions. PACHIN is now building a new ink plant that will boost its annual production capacity to 5,000 tons from 3,000 tons today in a bid to increase its local market share to 13% while simultaneously boosting exports.

PACHIN's net profits increased 18% to LE 39 million in its 1Q05-06 financials. In late December, the local press reported the Chemical Industries Holding Company was considering listing an additional 10% stake of PACHIN on the Cairo and Alexandria Stock Exchange.

MANAGEMENT: Sherif Mahmoud Shawki (chairman) Mohsen Mohamed Abd El-Rahman (managing director)

LISTED: 8/1994

PAR VALUE: LE 10

MARKET CAP: LE 986.40 million

TRADING DAYS: 249 (out of max of 249)

AVG DAILY VOL: 24,116 shares

AVG DAILY VALUE: LE 935,546.62

COORDINATES: 1 Al Masanie Street Hadayek El-Qobba Cairo Tel: +20 (2) 283-4047 / 6300 Fax: +20 (2) 284-4473 it@pachin.com www.pachin.com

44 Egypt Gas (Natural Gas and Mining Project)

Symbol: EGAS

2005 ranking: 28

Industry: Gas utilities

Employees: 3,333

Established in 1983 with a mandate to develop natural gas networks in urban areas, Egypt Gas operates grids in Alexandria, Greater Cairo and the Nile Delta. Some 20% of its shares are privatized, with feasibility studies under way for further privatization.

Only 20% of EGAS is in free float, with the balance held by the Egyptian General Petroleum Corporation.

EGAS' net profits rose 12% to LE 121.1 million in its 9M05 financials.

MANAGEMENT: Mohamed Adel Abdel-Hamid (chairman and managing director)

LISTED: 1998

PAR VALUE: LE 10

MARKET CAP: LE 1,150.68 million

TRADING DAYS: 218 (out of max of 249)

AVG DAILY VOL: 1,073 shares

AVG DAILY VALUE: LE 198,270.59

COORDINATES: 2 Geziret Mohamed Warrak, Imbaba, Giza Cairo Tel: +20 (2) 540-7674/6079 Fax: +20 (2) 540-8882/6081 egyptgas@egyptgas.com.eg www.egyptgas.com.eg

45 Egyptian Financial and Industrial Company (EFIC)

Symbol: EFIC

2005 ranking: 42

Industry: Fertilizers and agricultural chemicals

Employees: 3,000

Originally established in 1929 as an investment bank, EFIC soon became a heavy investor in the fertilizer industry. Today, the company is solely a fertilizer concern and, having merged with one-time subsidiary Arab Granulated Fertilizers, is Egypt's largest producer of phosphate fertilizers, accounting for 70% of the domestic market and 65% of exports.

According to company officials, increased demand for phosphate fertilizers in 2004 pushed the company to increase production by nearly 30% from 2003, and it estimated revenues of LE 400 million in 2004. After a strong 2005 in which revenues climbed 32.38% to LE 381 million and net profits 19.07% to LE 64.3 million, the company expects 2006 to be even better thanks to lower operating costs and two new production lines that were slated to start working at the end of 2005.

The Metallurgical Industries Holding Company offered its 36.2% stake in EFIC for sale last August, saying it would sell to an anchor investor or group of investors. The company's Employee Shareholder Association followed suit one week later, offering its 5% stake for sale. No word on the status of the sale was available at press time.

In November, EFIC's net profits shot up 23% to LE 59.4 million for 9M05 as domestic sales grew 21% following orders for the government to ramp up production in the face of a fertilizer shortage in the spring planting season.

MANAGEMENT: Yehia Mahmoud Kotb (chairman and managing director)

LISTED: 05/1995

PAR VALUE: LE 40

MARKET CAP: LE 1,350.21 million

TRADING DAYS: 247 (out of max of 249)

AVG DAILY VOL: 20,880 shares

AVG DAILY VALUE: LE 1,871,493.55

COORDINATES: 23, 25 Sherif Street Down Town Cairo Tel: +20 (2) 393-8578 / 392-8651 Fax: +20 (2) 393-8578 www.sfie.com.eg

46 Amereya Cement (Amrya Cement)

Symbol: AMRI

2005 ranking: 34

Industry: Construction materials

Employees: 353

Created in 1998 as a state-owned subsidiary of Alexandria Portland Cement and then split up, Amereya Cement makes all types of cement using two dry-method production lines. In 2003, Amereya was hit with a lawsuit from the Ministry of State for Environmental Affairs for violating environmental laws.

MANAGEMENT: Filipe Sequira Martins (chairman) Jose Antonio Teixeira (managing director)

LISTED: 2/1995

PAR VALUE: LE 5

MARKET CAP: LE 1,865.40 million

TRADING DAYS: 231 (out of max of 249)

AVG DAILY VOL: 3,680 shares

AVG DAILY VALUE: LE 88,643.80

COORDINATES: Trade City Center Down Town Desert Rd. Alexandria Tel: +20 (3) 399-4000 Fax: +20 (3) 399-4001/4011 amrcem@globalnet.com.eg

47 Orascom Hotel Holdings (Orascom Hotels, OHH)

Symbol: ORHC

2005 ranking: 56

Industry: Hotels, resorts and cruise lines

Employees: 3,450

Orascom Hotel Holdings owns nine hotels in El-Gouna and Taba Heights, the capacity of which totals 20,170 rooms. OHH properties are managed by Hyatt, InterContinental, Club Med and Swisshotels, among others. The company continues to develop its operations in hotels and custom-built tourist villages.

Orascom Hotel Holdings merged with Orascom Projects and Tourism Development in 2004 and was renamed Orascom Hotels and Development (OHD) in 2005. OHD is planning projects in Oman, UAE and Jordan for the next three years. The biggest project will be modeled after the El Gouna development on 22 million square meters of land in Oman.

In July 2005, OHH acquired Amoun Hotel for LE 15 million.

MANAGEMENT: Samih Onsi Sawiris (chairman)

LISTED: 1998

PAR VALUE: LE 19.95

MARKET CAP: LE 835.52 million

TRADING DAYS: 248 (out of max of 249)

AVG DAILY VOL: 433,962 shares

AVG DAILY VALUE: LE 15,659,706.62

COORDINATES: 162 B, 26 July Street Agouza, Giza Cairo Tel: +20 (2) 302-6939 / 302-6930 Fax: +20 (2) 303-4937 info@elgouna.com www.elgouna.com

48 Alexandria Cement

Symbol: ALEX

2005 ranking: 49

Industry: Construction materials

Employees: 400

Established in 1948, Alexandria Cement was privatized in the 1990s, with Britain's Blue Circle Cement (owned by French cement titan Lafarge) taking an 80% stake. Alexandria Cement specializes in cement production and packaging; a new production line, the company's fifth, has increased its total annual capacity to 1.5 million tons.

TITAN, Greece's largest cement company with operations throughout Southeastern Europe and the former Yugoslavia, bought a 50% majority stake in Alexandria Portland in 2002. In addition to ALEX (which has an annual production capacity of 2 million tons in a joint venture with Lafarge), TITAN owns Misr Beni Suef Cement Co. (1.4 million annual tons, again in a joint venture with Lafarge) and floating distribution terminals in Alexandria and Safaga.

MANAGEMENT: Samer Perekdar (chairman) Khaled Badawy (CEO)

LISTED: 29/7/1999

PAR VALUE: LE 10

MARKET CAP: LE 583.44 million

TRADING DAYS: 102 (out of max of 249)

AVG DAILY VOL: 11,570 shares

AVG DAILY VALUE: LE 345,616.75

COORDINATES: Om Zeghio Road Gate 8, Dekheila District Alexandria Tel: +20 (3) 440-4974 / 442-2191 Fax: +20 (3) 440-9884

49 Sinai Cement Company (Sinai Cement)

Symbol: SCEM

2005 ranking: 51

Industry: Construction materials

Employees: 260

Founded in 1997 by private investors, Sinai Cement today maintains one of the largest white cement production lines in the world, located south of Al-Arish. In 2001, the company partnered with the Danish Aalborg group and began producing white cement through a LE 300 million investment in Sinai White Portland Cement Company, and in 2003, the company increased its paid-in capital to LE 350 million through a strategic partnership with the France-based Ciments Vicat.

Vicat increased its ownership Sinai to 36% from 28.57% in mid-2005, acquiring F.L. Smith's 7.5% stake in a deal valued at LE 94.6 million. Earlier in the year, Sinai Cement used net profits to finance the acquisition of ASEC Cement's stake in the Sinai White Cement Company for LE 80.7 million. Sinai Cement's production capacity grew to 1.6 million tons in 2005, up from 1.45 million the previous year and 0.1 million tons better than projected.

MANAGEMENT: Hassan Kamel Rateb (chairman and managing director)

LISTED: 2000

PAR VALUE: LE 10

MARKET CAP: LE 1,790.25 million

TRADING DAYS: 248 (out of max of 249)

AVG DAILY VOL: 56,847 shares

AVG DAILY VALUE: LE 2,093,756.73

COORDINATES: 29A Madina Mounawara Street Dokki Cairo Tel: +20 (2) 749-3067 / 3097 Fax: +20 (2) 749-3528 scc@link.net ww.samagroup.com/cement.html

50 Amoun Pharmaceutical Co.

Symbol: AMUN

2005 ranking: 46

Industry: Pharmaceuticals

Employees: 2,500

Amoun was founded as an import and distribution company of pharmaceutical products in 1976. Its first factory, Advanced Biochemical Industries, was sold to GlaxoWellcome Co. in 1989. Amoun's second factory, Amoun Pharmaceutical Industries Co., was also sold to GlaxoWellcome in 1998 and is now part of GlaxoSmithKline Egypt.

Amoun's products include antirheumatics, antihistamines, gastrointestinals, cardiovasculars, antipyretics, analgesics and vitamins and supplements. The company exports to 19 European, Arab and African countries and has sister companies in the US, Romania, Russia and Kenya. The company was honored in 1997 by the United Nations with an award for innovation in Africa. Future plans include achieving the production of 110 million packages of different pharmaceutical forms by 2007.

MANAGEMENT: Dr. Sarwat Sabet Bassily (chairman and managing director) Elijah Sabet Bassily (deputy chairman and CEO)

LISTED: 06/1998

PAR VALUE: LE 1,000

MARKET CAP: LE 2,378.40 million

TRADING DAYS: 244 (out of max of 249)

AVG DAILY VOL: 7,588 shares

AVG DAILY VALUE: LE 341,822.91

COORDINATES: 1st Industrial Zone Ismailia Road Abour City Cairo Tel: +20 (2) 610-0044 / 0100 Fax: +20 (2) 610-2044 email@amoun.com www.amoun.com

© Business Today Egypt 2006