Ciurtin sets the new targets for Albalact

Raul Ciurtin, a shareholder in Albalact, the biggest independent dairy producer, maintains the company’s 2010 strategy will entail a reduction in the number of warehouses, from six to four, and the development of the distribution system through investments worth as much as two million euros. “We’ll acquire cars for agents, transport vans and the necessary technology to improve warehousing and boost warehousing capacity. We’ll invest around 200,000 euros in the warehousing area and 1-1.5m euros in the fleet, but everything will be done in steps,” stated Raul Ciurtin, chairman and general manager of Albalact, who owns 14.9% in the Alba Iulia-based company. Albalact currently has 4,000 active clients along all distribution channels and wants to increase their number by 20% by yearend, to around 4,800. Ciurtin added the company would make further investments in distribution in 2011, but provided no additional details. Albalact, with 53m-euro turnover in 2009, owns three warehouses, in Alba Iulia, Bucharest and Campulung Moldovenesc, and has three rented warehouses in Craiova, Timisoara and Baia Mare. The producer expects 10% turnover growth this year.