Düsseldorf / Prague / Bucharest—Sep 24, 2010
FTT Increases Activities in Eastern Europe
Having opened a new subsidiary in Belgium earlier this month, FTT is now announcing new partnership in Czech Republic and Romania
For several years, the Eastern European markets have already made up for a good part of FTT’s success story. Hence, it was only a matter of time until the Düsseldorf-based cinema outfitter decided to put its activities in these markets on a new platform. Together with AV MEDIA a.s., a company with long-standing experience in selling and leasing presentation technology, audiovisual system integration and other services, FTT has now founded a new company, the FTT CINEMEDIA s.r.o., based in the Czech capital of Prague. As for Romania, the newly founded company FTT Digital Cinema s.r.l. based in Bucharest, a partnership with Magicview, a company offering media technology solutions and 3D post production since 1993, will service the Romanian and Moldavian markets.
These co-operations follow a long series of business activities in Central and Eastern Europe: In 2001, FTT founded Digital Cinema Polska based in Lodz to conquer the Polish market. In 2006, the company even crossed the Ural to install a cinema at Hotel Korston in Kazan, Russia, together with its Austrian business partner Kraftwerk who, for his part, opened a subsidiary in Belarus last year. What’s more, FTT also opened an office in Budapest, the FTT Digital Cinema kft. that very year.
Thomas Rüttgers, Chairman of the Board of Management of FTT group said: “We have already been active in the Czech and Romanian markets for several years. However, to promote sustainable growth in our core markets it is vital to have reliable and well-established local partners who know their markets and speak the language of the customer. We had good experience with our subsidiaries in Poland and Hungary that had continued growing ever since their opening. Furthermore, Mr. Rüttgers explained that due to FTT’s commitment in Austria, the group had gained access to a few other Eastern European markets in the last few years: “The ties between Austria and its neighbours have always been tied and deep due to their historical development and that is what facilitates trading across cultural and language barriers. These two new co-operations are the result of a long-standing business partnership that has been constantly growing over the years.”
David Lesch, Commercial and Financial Director of AV MEDIA, supports Mr. Rüttgers’s view: “In the digital age, service is a crucial factor. Service means hotline or helpdesk support as well as maintenance and emergency services and consultancy. Therefore, you need people who speak the language and know their customers well as the cinema industry has always been a face-to-face business. We are proud that FTT has chosen us as their partner it is a company with a proven track record in digital cinema.”
Teodor Munteanu, General Manager of Magic View, added: “To be close to the customer is also important to convince even hesitating customers of the benefits digital cinema offers them. We have already implemented some important projects with FTT and we are doing our best to contribute our share to promoting the digital rollout in Romania.” Mr. Munteanu explained that FTT Romania had been charged with two digital installations at the end of this year and the beginning of next year and that they had successfully been servicing Light Cinemas in Bucharest for some time.
Apart from local cinemas run by individuals and public authorities, FTT group has been chosen by Palace Cinemas and Kieft group, both active in several countries of Central and Eastern Europe, to support the groups’ digital rollout.
