An Azerbaijani businessman, Elchin Akhmedov, has reportedly acquired the active assets of Sorus, the bankrupt St Petersburg-based fruit importer that at one time had a 10 per cent share of the entire Russian fresh produce market.
Akhmedov is said to have made the acquisition of the former major importer late last month through his company ZAO Aysel, according to a report in Russia’s Fruit News translated by Crisp Consulting.
Sorus, together with fellow St Petersburg-based companies JFC and Sunway, formerly constituted one third of the triumvirate of businesses that controlled an estimated 42 per cent of Russia’s fruit import sector before 2008.
However, like Sunway, Sorus was one of the earliest and most high profile companies in Russia to go bankrupt during the recession.
According to Fruit News, since the collapse of its rivals, JFC has increased its share of the Russian fruit market from 23 per cent to 29 per cent.
