Pepsi bottler sees 30% growth

Mineral water and soft drinks producer Quadrant Amroq Beverages (QAB), the Pepsi brands bottler for the Romanian market, posted 30% higher turnover in Q3, 2003 compared to Q3, 2002, company officials say. They would not reveal the nominal value of the sales or say if this growth was in ROL or in dollars, either. QAB SA last year logged 1,682.3bn ROL ($50.9 million) turnover last year, 32% more than in 2001, according to the Finance Ministry. Profit reached $530,000 in 2002, over against the $3.1 million loss in 2001, the same sources said. QAB’s representatives were saying that considering the pace thus far, the company was to grow by 30% for the entire year, so that the turnover should reach more than $65 million in 2003. QAB bottles and distributes Pepsi, Prigat, Lipton Ice Tea, Kick and Perla mineral water in Romania and in the Republic of Moldova. ZF