Baghdad, Buzau and the gas mask

This may sound cynical, but at least one manager of a Romanian company has been hopefully watching the events in the Middle East over the last two months. For some enterprises, the war, or at least such a threat, may turn out to be a moneymaking business.
This is the story of Buzau-based Romcarbon, the only domestic gas mask maker, which has been overwhelmed by inquiries about its offer lately. Those most interested in the Buzau-made gas masks are the states in the war area (Saudi Arabia, Israel, Kuwait), as well as companies from the USA, Germany or Romania, according to Romcarbon general manager Silviu Popa.
The company last year exported 1,200 gas masks, but it may produce up to 10,000 units a month or 120,000 a year. A gas mask costs about two million ROL ($60), which means that in the event the company makes use of its entire productive capacity, it could see more than $7 million a year in revenues from selling gas masks alone. Popa feels the companies in the Gulf region are interested in the Buzau-made gas masks because Romcarbon, along with several other Romanian companies, built a factory making such protections in Iraq throughout ’86-’87. “They must be thinking that if the masks we make are of the same type as those in Iraq, then they will be effective against the substances that might be used in the region,” the company manager explained.
Romcarbon logged some $10 million turnover last year. It also makes filters for engines, activated carbon, as well as polyethylene foil packaging. The company is listed on RASDAQ, with transactions conducted at 12,000 ROL/share last Friday. Romcarbon’s main shareholders are SIF Transilvania (29%), PAS (Employees Association) Romcarbon (31.7%) and Unitai Intl. Corporation (8.5%).