Dobrogea Grup posts 72m-euro revenues

Willing and bakery company Dobrogea Grup Constanta posted 72 million-euro turnover for 2004, an increase of nearly 25% on 2003.

a??We re-launched production of biscuits last year following a 3.8 million-euro investment in a completely automated line that makes all types of biscuits,a?? says Otilia Stanciu, Dobrogea Grupa??s marketing manager.

The company will invest some 6 million euros in the development of the milling, bakery, frozen products and logistics sectors in order to consolidate its position on the local and national market. a??We opened a new bread-making line worth more than 3 million euros this year,a?? Otilia Stanciu says. Dobrogea Grup has recently re-launched the Eugenia biscuits on the market, though the move caused unrest among the other of players on the market, who are challenging the paternity of the brand. a??The novelty of this year is the re-launch of Eugenia, in a new dress intended to help promote it as a premium brand. Eugenia has been a Dobrogea-owned trademark since 1997,a?? Otilia Stanciu.

The companya??s brands on the market include Dobrogea (flour, corn flour, semolina), Dan Do Pan (complex ameliorants), Pasta Magica (pasta), Captain Cranz, Matina, Funky Mix, Choco and Diet (breakfast cereals for kids and adults), Fresh (frozen bread and pastry products), Neptun, Litoral Digesta and Total (bread and specialities with added cereal). Dobrogea Grup has more than 300 products and 50 brands in its portfolio. According to the data provided by Dobrogea Grup, biscuits make for an about 40,000-tonne a year market whose value stands at approximately 50m euros. Biscuits are traditionally a desert, with more than 70% of the market comprised of sweet biscuits, and the rest consisting in salty biscuits.

The biscuits market has been dominated by cheap imports, chiefly coming from Turkey over the last few years. It was also this country wherefrom a significant number of investors originated that held production facilities in Romania.

stelian.negrea@zf.ro