SKODA: The Czech competition authority has approved Skoda Transportation's planned purchase of Sumperk-based rolling stock firm Pars Nova, which specialises in the modernisation of DMUs (RG 12.07 p789), trams and other vehicles. Pars Nova has 840 staff, and recorded a profit of KC29m on turnover of KC1·3bn in 2006.
Skoda and Pars Nova have collaborated on past projects, and are jointly bidding to modernise 60 CKD-built KT4 trams for Beograd from 2009.
Skoda Holding's portfolio now includes domestic companies Skoda Transportation, Skoda Electric, Skoda Ostrov, CKD Vagonka and the VÚKV Praha development office, as well as Sibelektroprivod Novosibirsk of Russia and Ganz-Skoda Közlekedési of Hungary. It has around 2 500 staff, and reported sales of KC 6·5bn in 2007. Since March 2003 it has been owned by the USA-based Appian Group.
