Oprean goes into logistics

The international shipping company Oprean, based in Sebes, Alba Iulia, estimates its turnover to go up by more than 15% this year, to 7.8 million dollars (6.3 million euros). “The 2005 turnover will be 15-20% higher than in 2004 because the vehicle fleet increased, too. Profits will not grow, however, because the price of fuel has gone up a great deal and fuel accounts for 30% of the expenses of a shipping company,” stated Nicolae Oprean, the manager of Oprean. The firm posted turnover of 6.5 million dollars (5.2 million euros) in 2004. Oprean intends to expand the business of the company by moving into logistics. “We are an independent company but are looking for an international logistics company with whom we can establish a transport and logistics hub in Romania, particularly because we are located in the centre of the country and no such thing currently exists here,” Oprean explained. The Sebes-based shipping firm is not the only one to plan to capitalise on the potential of the Romanian market in terms of logistics. Some of the international logistics companies operating on the Hungarian market have expressed an interest in expanding in Romania, which represents a natural stage of their development on the East European market. ZF