The ICT Group, also spelt IST Group, is an investment venture based in Russia. The company owns a number of Russian businesses including a precious mineral extraction company Polymetal, and United Wagon Company, Russia's largest manufacturer of freight railcars and one of the leading of rail transportation providers. In 2013 assets that were previously part of ICT Group formed an investment company based in Cyprus. Key shareholder of the ICT Holding Ltd is Alexander Nesis.
Overview
ICT was founded as group of private investors by Alexander Nesis and five other colleagues. Nesis is president and major shareholder of the group. In 2011 the group's assets were estimated to be worth around $8 billion.
Finance
The group established NOMOS-BANK in 1993, a 49.99% stake was sold to PPF Group and the Slovakian J&T in 2007/8. Khanty–Mansi Bank, an investment bank operating in the Khanty–Mansi Autonomous Area came under the groups control in 2009. In 2011 ICT Group completed an IPO at MICEX and LSE having offered 22% in NOMOS BANK's share capital In 2013 a controlling stake of NOMOS BANK Group was sold to Otkritie Financial Corporation. ICT Holding Ltd currently owns of Otkritie Holding The company acquired a stake in road vehicle and industrial equipment leasing company Balting Leasing Company in 2010, and sold it in 2012, a rail wagon leasing company "Rail1520" was formed in 2011 which received financial backing by Sberbank, a rail leasing joint venture with Mitsui was formed in 2012. Both companies are operating under the management of United Wagon Company.
Mining and extraction
Precious metal extraction company Polymetal was founded by the group in 1998, sold to Nafta-Moskva Group in 2005, and a controlling stake reacquired by ICT group together with Alexander Mamut and PPF Group in 2008. The ICT group increased its shareholding to 40% in 2009. In 2011 Polymetal completed IPO at LSE, as a result, free-float exceeded 50%. ICT Holding Ltd currently holds a 19,86% stake in Polymetal International Plc In 2010 ICT group acquired a 13.2% stake in potash mining company Uralkali. In 2013 ICT Group sold its stake in Uralkali to a strategic investor.
Engineering
In 2001 the group acquired an engineering plant specialising in rail vehicle component and tank track manufacture based in Tikhvin, Leningrad Oblast, Russia. The factory site was extensively restructured, and the ICT owned Titran-Express Assembly Plant was formed. ICM was founded as a joint venture in 2006 with Israeli civil and manufacturing engineering company Baran Group to provide engineering services to the group. In 2008 the group began construction of a rail wagon manufacturing plantTikhvin Railway Car Building Plant, at its Tikhvin manufacturing site, the plant, representing an investment of over $1billion, became operational in 2012. TVSZ is managed by one of the assets of the ICT Group - United Wagon Company. In 2015 United Wagon Company has completed an IPO at Moscow Exchange, the free-float exceeded 12%. ICT Holding Ltd currently owns 74,71% of the Company.
Other
The company is also involved in real-estate development in Moscow and St. Petersburg, as well as at the former Transmash site in Tikhvin. The group became majority shareholder in Italian national wireless communication company ARIA in 2011. ICT Group also owned 22.35% stake of a private equity fund EMMA Delta, which acquired 33% stake of OPAP. In 2015 the stake held by ICT Group was sold to KKCG, another investor of EMMA Delta.
Former investments
ICT acquired shares in Alexander Nesis's former employer "Baltic shipyards" in 1999 and 2000.. ICT's stake in Baltic Shipyards was sold for ~$1billion by 2005. In 2001 the group acquired a majority stake in the development company for the Tikhvin Ferroalloy Plant. The company was merged into vertically integrated ferroalloy producer Oriel Resources in 2006, and was sold to the Mechel Group in 2008.
