Robert Schmid: We'd be content even with a 5-8% increase on construction market

Austria’s Schmid Industrie Holding group, present domestically with companies Baumit, Austrotherm, Wopfinger and Wolfplastic, expects its Romanian turnover to stagnate at a little above 100m-euro at the worst. “The group’s turnover in 2009 revolved around 1.2bn euros, slightly down, by 6%, from 2008. In Romania, turnover generated by the companies part of the group slightly topped 100m euros, down almost 20%. The worst-case scenario for 2010 includes turnover stagnation this year. Nevertheless, we anticipate resumed growth in Romania, and a 5-8% growth pace would be satisfying,” stated Robert Schmid, CEO of Schmid Industrie Holding, at the launch of the third Baumit production facility in Romania. Baumit Romania construction materials producer accounts for the biggest weight in the group’s turnover domestically, namely one third of the total. The company in 2009 derived 31m-euro turnover, down by a little more than 28% from the 2008 level. In 2008, Baumit boasted the biggest turnover in Romania after a 15-year presence, posting a 30% increase, to 43m euros.