Tractors are back with a kilt to Romania

Scottish William Troup brings Universal Romanian tractors from the Great Britain, tractors exported from Brasov before 1989, and sells them to the farmers in Bihor County.

William Troup is a Scottish man, but unlike his fellow countrymen, he is not a fanatic patriot. This was why he moved and does business in England, a country where the Scottish can hardly go without a feeling of hostility. He is proud of his ability to adapt.

“Only Richard Smith (his business partner and a pipe singer, i.e.), could be that stupid as to remain in Scotland,” says the old man, giggling. Mister Bill, as his friends call him, is very close to 70 years of age, but kept being a cute man.

He was able to start his own business ten years ago and has been running it ever since. “It is a small business of internal and external transport. I have several trucks to rent or to carry goods with them.”

The business fared well so that the Scottish did not seem to need an additional occupation. But his drive to make more money and his passion for business, prompted Troup came to Romania and enter a kind of strange combination.

“This idea struck me five years ago, by chance. I read some governmental documents saying that Romania needed at least 400 tractors.” The thought that he could export second-hand tractors in bulk seemed an excellent opportunity to him.

“I naturally thought of second-hand tractors, as the farmers do not have enough money to buy a new tractor. Then I thought the tractors should be made in Romania. Why? For at least two reasons: Romanians know them and are not reluctant to have one and the spare parts are easy to find and are not expensive.” Once the project was analysed, William put it in practice.

He can bring five tractors in Romania once and he can make this way every three weeks. In the meantime, he buys Romanian tractors from English farmers, he loads them into trucks and brings them in Romania.

The shipment expenses are zero, as his own company provides this service, and the final profit stands at about 3,000 dollars.

As he makes 16 shipments during one year, the profit is more than 50,000 dollars. If it is necessary, the tractors are mended in Oradea, where the expenses are lower and the workers are more skilled.

” I have a partner here, in Oradea, who looks for clients in the country. We do not post announcements in the newspaper. We strike a deal by direct negotiation. I can sell a tractor at the price of 1,500 dollars, while I have bought it for 900 dollars back in England,” Mister Bill explains.

But the business would not be profitable if Mister Bill returned home with empty trucks. So he goes to Baia Mare, Satu Mare or Targu Mures, buys wooden furniture and sells it in England.

“I like to do business in Romania. The only problem is the infernal bureaucracy. You may feel like killing yourself at the customs house until the moment you get to seal a document. When you finally succeeded to do it, you have to go to another office for check-in, which has been just closed,” Troup says.