The BLRT Group, which operates in the fields of shipbuilding and metal sales, is forecasting a turnover for the group in 2010 of 4.6 billion Estonian kroons.

Director of Communications Anu Hallik told BNS that the group's 2009 turnover was approximately 4.8 billion kroons. The same figure in 2008 was 6 billion kroons.

Hallik remarked that the group is still operating at a profit, which it expects to see a slight increase in over the coming year in comparison with 2009.

"The reason we expect to see this growth is the investments we've made and the changes we've introduced to boost efficiency in our production processes," she explained.

In response to BNS's question regarding the areas in which 2009 proved more difficult for the group and the areas in which doing business was easier, Hallik said that metal sales to the construction industry had slowed.

"We've seen virtually no drop-off in our energy-related operations, which at the moment are focussed on metal constructions for maritime wind energy parks and gas and oil platforms, and specialist ships," she added.

Hallik noted that the group's shipbuilding arm is operating at full capacity.

In 2009 the group made investments valued at 131 million kroons, the largest of which was for its galvanising plant in Vilnius.

This year BLRT plans to invest a further 150 million kroons in its operations. The key investments will be made in the areas of ship repairs and the manufacture of metal constructions. In addition to its investments in Tallinn, the group will also be replacing its floating dock in Turku, Finland.

The BLRT Group’s main areas of activity are shipbuilding, ship repairs, manufacturing metal structures, sales of metals, port and stevedoring services, mechanical engineering, processing used metal, car transport services and sales of medical and industrial gases.

The group consists of 65 subsidiaries in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Ukraine, Russia, Finland and Norway. It employs a total of 4000 people.