The Galati-based Galmopan group of firms, operating in the food industry, announced it planned to invest 5 million euros in the construction of a biscuit and sugary products plant close to Braila.
"We leased an area of 28 hectares of land in the free zone 2 Braila in order to relocate most production facilities we own in the following years," stated Doru Resmerita, the company's manager.
The first stage of this project is the construction of a biscuit plant on an area of 4,800 square metres.
The facility will have a production capacity of 60 tonnes per day to begin with.
The total value of the investments made by Galmopan during the 2006-2008 period will amount to 14 million euros.
"Given Romania's future EU integration, we had to continue the investment programme we had started in 2002," the company's manager also says.
The group, which owns Galacta dairy producer, will finalise a 5 million euro investment in the modernisation of milk processing activities by mid next year, with another 4 million euros being earmarked for the grain production.
"We want to completely cover the domestic market, but we also plan to try foreign markets," says Resmerita.
Galmopan group operates in several food industry sectors, as well as in retail and distribution. Of these, grain primary processing holds the biggest weight, contributing some 25% in annual turnover. Bakery and pastry account for 25% in total turnover together.
According to company data, bakery and pastry products are sold on the markets of Galati and Braila, where the group owns 40 outlets and holds a market share of 65%.
Dairy products and ice cream are distributed on a regional market including Galati, Braila, Tulcea, Constanta, Vrancea counties and Bucharest, while milling, sugary and flour products are distributed countrywide through the company's own distribution network.
At present, Galmopan products are sold in Real, Metro, Billa, Kaufland, G'Market, Univers'all and Primavara.
The biggest sales are derived, though, locally, in Galati and Braila counties (19%) and in the rest of Moldova region (35%).
"We permanently invest in our own product distribution, as well as in the contracts with intermediaries, so as to cover all the counties of the country, both on the segment of retail and on the key-accounts and HoReCa (hotel, restaurant and catering) segments," Resmerita mentions.
Galmopan banks on turnover worth 120 million RON (34 million euros) and gross income worth one million euros this year. The group last year posted turnover worth 56 million RON (15.5 million euros), according to Finance Ministry data. Turnover generated in the first six months of this year revolved around 63 million RON (17.5 million euros).
