On February 15, the Russian government commission approved a deal to sell three IKEA factories in Russia. The buyers are two large domestic manufacturers — the Slotex company (specializing in kitchen worktops and cabinets) and the lumber manufacturer Luzales. Viktor Evtukhov, Deputy Head of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, said in interview to Russian media. The price and the form of payment are not disclosed. IKEA previously said it plans to close the deal in the first half of 2023.
Slotex specializes in the production of kitchen worktops and cabinets. The owner of 100% of Slotex LLC is Osipova Svetlana Evgenievna.
The Syktyvkar based Luzales produces lumber, its founder is Nikolai Semenyuk. The company is currently owned by Maria Nikolaevna Semenyuk. In 2021, the company's revenue amounted to 8.5 billion rubles ($116 million), 38th place in the rating of the Top 50 Russian forest based companies.
Since March 3, IKEA has suspended all operations in Russia. This decision directly affected the 15,000 IKEA employees in the country. In June, the company announced its intention to sell the Russian factories.
Western forest based companies sold 13 plants in Russia since beginning of war in Ukraine.
