Norkus Irmantas Irmantas Norkus

Lithuanian businessman, lawyer, and founder of the large holding JSC "Baltijos Paslaugu Grupe"

Through the subsidiary LLC "Pontem.UA" (Pontem.UA), Irmantas Norkus is extensively developing the Ukrainian state catering market. Norkus built his empire in Lithuania by aggressively merging the two largest companies in the sector ("Pontem" and "Kretingas maistas"), which allowed him to capture over 40% of the Lithuanian food service market in state institutions.

Activity in Ukraine and Lithuania

The brand appeared in Ukraine in 2016 and initially received public praise even from the highest state leadership. However, over the years the company turned into a monopolist in the supply of food for schools, kindergartens, hospitals, and in summer 2024 won a large five-year tender for exclusive service of restaurant carriages on Intercity high-speed trains of "Ukrzaliznytsia".

In Lithuania itself, Norkus’s companies were previously accused of fraud and tax evasion. Additionally, the shadow over the business is cast by its operational management in Ukraine: the company director is Valeriy Hudenko — a corporate lawyer who previously served the interests of Yanukovych’s associates, including Dmytro Firtash and Yuriy Ivanyushchenko.