Kober boosts sales by 33% in first half

Kober Piatra-Neamt, one of the leading producers of paints and enamels in Romania, achieved an increase in sales by some 33% compared with the same time last year, its representatives say.
‘This trend of the sales of paints and enamels was primarily the result of an increase in real estate investments, both on the new building segment and the renovation of old ones. We believe this development of the construction sector will maintain the same trend over the coming years,” Stefan Barna, the company’s strategy manager told ZIARUL FINANCIAR.
Kober made about 29 million-euro (105 million RON) turnover in 2005, and a net profit of 2.3 million euros (8.3 million RON), which translates into a 7.9% profit margin.
Kober bought the Melana 5 factory on the Savinesti industrial site at the end of last year, in a deal that amounted to some 580,000 euros (2.1 million RON), the company representatives say.
‘The main investment this year will go the development of our new production facility located on the Savinesti industrial site. We have focused on this because we want the new sections to be operational as soon as possible so as to meet the growing demand from both the domestic and the foreign market,” Barna explains.
The factory in Savinesti has a surface area of 16,000 square metres. Kober will develop production of resins, decorative products (primers, paints and enamels) and powder paints in this location.
The decorative products (decorative enamels, washable paints, environment-friendly paints, DIY wood protection products) accounted for the bulk of Kober’s turnover last year, approximately 65%. About 85% of the turnover is derived from the domestic market, wit the remaining 15% derived from exports. Kober has a research and production facility in Turturesti (near Piatra Neamt), which specialises in paints and enamels, a facility in Vaduri (close to Piatra Neamt again) that makes heating substations and an electronic component manufacturing factory in Iasi.