Industrial services and products company Harsco Corp. last week announced that its SGB access services division is adding a branch in the Ukraine.

“We view our Ukraine expansion as a continuation of our global growth strategies,” said SGB division president Geoffrey Butker. “Ukraine is a major Central European gateway with a population of almost 50 million and a substantial industrial base. After years of under-investment, there exists a considerable emerging demand for major office, hotel, motorway and airport expansion projects, all of which are clearly within our core competencies to support.”

SGB will enter the Ukraine market as majority partner with the privately held Excelsio Group, a Latvian-based contracting and construction services firm, with whom SGB partnered in establishing its SGB Latvia operations.

SGB is a leading international supplier of rental scaffolding, concrete forming, shoring and other access-related equipment and services for non-residential construction and maintenance projects, with branches in more than 20 countries. Harsco’s Patent Construction Systems division provides similar services in North America and the two divisions combined worldwide sales last year topped $700 million.

Harsco Corp. is based in Harrisburg, Pa.