While waiting for credit cards, discount cards would do just fine

Open up your wallet for a moment and you are most likely to find a credit or a debit card, a discount card or a card for loyal clients in it.

The more and more possibilities for using all sorts of cards have led to a substantial increase in the sales of the producing companies.

Inform Lykos, a company making standard forms and cards, saw sales double from 4.7 million euros in the first six months of last year to 9.5 million euros in the first half 2003.

The company posted some 12.7 million euros turnover last year, 30% up from 2001.

Vicentiu Zorzolan, the company’s general manager, said the increase in the half-year was mainly due to the growth of the distribution network and of the business volume with the current clients, to the modification of the fiscal papers regime and to the launch of new products.

The company attracts clients in the banking system, as well as state institutions and commercial operators.

The company’s most significant clients include Banca Rom=na pentru Dezvoltare (Romanian Development Bank – BRD), Banca Comerciala Rom=na (Romanian Commercial Bank – BCR), Metro, Electrica, RTC, Astral Telecom, RomTelecom and Raiffeisen Bank.

Inform Lykos invested about 1 million euros in offset and finishing printing equipment in the first half this year.

The company plans an about 4 million euro investment in new headquarters for the next year.

Inform Lykos split from the RTC Group about two years ago, after having been acquired by the Greek company Inform P. Lykos.

The transaction amounted to some 12 million euros, which accounted for 51% of the shares. Inform Lykos’ main competitor is the Cluj-based company Agressione, which entered the cards market last year.

Other competitors include Bucharest-based Eurografica and Kmp companies. claudia.covaci@zf.ro