Saab receivers express hope of "continued activity" at plant

Dec 30, 2011, 11:48 GMT

Stockholm - Court-appointed receivers handling Swedish carmaker Saab's bankruptcy estate said Friday they were hopeful that 'some activity' could continue at the carmaker's main plant in western Sweden.

The two receivers, who were named last week, said they have met a number of Swedish and foreign parties that were interested in buying 'all or parts of' Saab's business.

'The contacts so far have been positive and offer good hope that there are options or even combinations of solutions that could result in some continued activity,' the statement read, without offering further details.

It was not possible to state when this could be finalized, the receivers said.

Chinese group Youngman has long expressed interest in Saab and had negotiated with the carmaker's Dutch owner, Swedish Automobile, until the December 19 bankruptcy filing.

Media reports have also mentioned interest from groups in Turkey and India.

Swedish Automobile took over Saab from General Motors (GM) in 2010. GM still controls key technology used by Saab and maintains a say over any possible deals.

Production at Saab's main plant in the Swedish town of Trollhattan has been at a virtual standstill since April.

The bankruptcy filing allowed a state wage guarantee to be activated ensuring that Saab's 3,400 employees could receive their overdue salaries for November. The receivers hoped December salaries could be paid shortly.