Telecom equipment supplier Alcatel SEL, based in the northern Slovak town of Liptovský Hradok, closed last year with a net profit of 146.8 million Slovak crowns ($3.5 million), a decrease of 38% compared with 1997. The company's sales remained almost unchanged at 2.9 billion crowns, while operating costs mounted to 2.54 billion crowns.
Exports comprised about 41% of the total sales volume in 1998, down from 47% the year before. Alcatel's biggest customers are traditionally Slovak Telecom, electricity producer SE, and Globtel GSM.
Alcatel SEL has been supplying the Slovak market with telecom equipment since 1992. Its share assets total 335 million crowns. Alcatel SEL AG Stuttgart controls 90% of the firm and Devín Banka in Bratislava holds the remaining 10%.
