Wienerberger triples business

Wienerberger Sisteme de Caramizi (Wienerberger Brick Systems), posted a 30 million-euro turnover last year compared with 12.6 m euros in 2004. “The increase in turnover is due to the increase in the demand on the market, in addition to our two factories in Romania having operated at peak capacity,” Daniel Catanas, Wienerberger Sisteme de Caramizi general manager told ZIARUL FINANCIAR. The Austrian group posted 80% growth in its sales volume in the first half of last year compared with the same time in the previous year. This is due to the development of residential construction projects. The increase in the number of new buildings drove the brick market up by some 10-20% last year, company officials say. Wienerberger announced last year that it would invest 18 million euros in the construction of a new factory in Sibiu, on the location of the facility they bought in the city in 2003. The factory will be completed within the end of the first half of the year. The Austrian group owns production facilities in Romania, in Gura Ocnitei (near Targoviste) and in Sibiu, where they have invested 27 million euros, according to the latest available data. Once the Gura Ocnitei plant was opened, Wienerberger Sisteme de Caramizi became the largest manufacturer of ceramic blocks in Romania. Wienerberger Sisteme de Caramizi announced at the end of last year it was in talks to take over companies or factories, and was also interested in greenfield investments in Romania. ZF