Former Turkish policeman does business in Transilvania

Foreign investors rushed to the Brad region especially after 1998, when it was declared a depressed area. Incentives granted by the Romanian state brought Italians, Chinese and Turkish developing businesses in various fields. Beside clothes and footwear manufacturing, wood processing is one of the most common activities performed by the foreigners here.

Muharrem Yldirim established Hadfel Moblecom SRL three years ago. The company deals with wood processing and is based in T=rnava de Cris. Yldirim came to Romania as he was attracted by easy-to-do business that could bring him plenty of money. He got an investor certificate and, accordingly, he does not have to pay taxes on the profits derived by his company.

However, the earnings, which were quite high at the beginning, have shrunk lately. “Doing business in Romania is no longer profitable. The wood is expensive and the prices for the electric power supply and transports are also high,” Yldirim, a former Turkish policeman, claims.

When Yldirim opened his company, in the spring of 1998, he hired six employees from the region. They had been laid off from Brad mines and had no idea how to work with wood. Hadfel Moblecom buys the wood from Romsilva warehouses or from private entrepreneurs and turns it into timber or half-processed finite products: chairs, tables, ornaments.

Yldirim brought the equipment from Turkey, where he sends the products manufactured in Romania. Timber is used for construction framing in Turkey, as this activity has been developing quite a lot lately. He sells the furniture and wood ornaments in Romania, to some private-owned companies based in Arad, S=nnicolau Mare and Deva.

The Turkish manager has been living in Romania for six years. He teamed up with another Turkish manager in a sponge business during the first three years, but he withdrew and bought the land and building of the former SMA from T=rnava de Cris.