Following yesterday's acquisition of 75% of the share capital of STOMANA Industry AD at Pernik in Bulgaria, SIDENOR S.A. is evolving into an important producer of steel products in the Balkans. STOMANA Industry AD acquired the industrial facilities of STOMANA AD, the second largest steel producer in Bulgaria.The industrial facilities of STOMANA consist of melt shop and hot rolling mill units. The melt shop, the largest part of which is of modern German technology, includes electric arc furnaces, continuous casting machines for slabs and ingots-blooms. The rolling mill units comprise flat products rolling mill, long products rolling mill (merchant bars, reinforcing bars) and a rolling mill for the production of steel balls used in stamping mills. The plant's yearly production of around 600 thousand tones in recent years, is significantly less than its production capacity.The Plant, which covers an area of 3.150 thousand square meters, additionally includes modern facilities consisting of environmental protection units, industrial gasses production units, storage facilities and other auxiliary installations. The plant's covered area amounts to over 400 thousand square meters.STOMANA Industry is in the process of developing an investment plan for the modernization of its facilities aiming at upgrading the quality of its production, and with SIDENOR's support, a plan for adjusting its products to modern market demands.Finally, it is noted that VIOHALCO acquired an important separate installation last week, cut off from the main factory of STOMANA AD, involved with steel thermal calibration and which today is an important supplement to the investment activities of the former in special steel products.