The week in business: 20 March

Coffee – Miko
The Turnhout-based coffeemaker and products supplier has acquired a 66% stake in the Norwegian Kaffeautomater company. The move strengthens Miko’s position in Scandinavia, where it acquired coffee servicing companies in Sweden and Denmark in 2013.

Diamonds – Monstrey
The trial of one of the largest fraud and money laundering affairs involving the Antwerp diamond trade has begun. More than 100 traders who did business with the Monstrey Worldwide Services transport group are accused of defrauding the state of €570 million in taxes.

Industrial tools – Atlas Copco
The Swedish producer of compressors and air management systems has invested €8 million to increase capacity of its Hoeselt distribution centre in Limburg province.     

Media – Politico
The Brussels-based EU affairs media group will launch its operations on 21 April after its acquisition last year of the European Voice. The company has plans to become the leader in political news in Europe. Politico is a joint venture between the US-based media group and Germany’s Axel Springer group.  

Nappies – Ontex
The Aalst-based manufacturer of diapers and incontinence products is investing €45 million in a state-of-the-art production unit in the north of France to concentrate capacity of two of its other facilities nearby. The new unit is expected to come on stream in 2016. Meanwhile, the Brussels-based GBL investment group has acquired a 7.4% stake in the company for some €129 million.

Payments – Verifone
The French global leader in secure electronic point-of-sale payments has opened an affiliate in Brussels to develop its activities on the local market.

Plastics – Resilux
The Wetteren-based manufacturer of PET bottles is investing €20 million in an additional production unit next to its existing facility in the US state of Georgia.