The sales of thermo-insulating glass saw the highest growth rate of the last few years, about 20%, in 2003, amounting to approximately 480 million euros, preliminary estimates show.
Consumer lending, the expansion of the retail chains and the fiscal deductions for home improvement could lead to a similar growth this year, pointing to a 580 million-euro market in 2004, compared with 400 million euros two years ago.
“The main resources of this market are the opening of the consumer lending season, with people investing as a result, and the application of the tax deduction (to the global income tax). On the other hand, several small and medium store chains have announced expansion plans. Another boost could come from the law on the heating rehabilitation of the homes,” says Marin Crutescu, the chairman of the National Association of Window, Door, FaA§ade and Thermo-insulating Glass Producers in Romania (ANPFR) and owner of the Corina Gealan Company, one of the operators on this market.
A deduction of the expenses made on the necessary materials used for ensuring domestic thermal comfort, i.e. installing thermopane windows, could induce growth not only in the thermopane glass industry but also among the suppliers of this industry, such as the professional insulators and polyurethane foams market.
The thermo-insulating glass is one of the construction supplies introduced in Romania after 1990, which has managed to create a half a billion-euro yearly market from scratch. The business, which has turned into one of the most profitable in the meantime, has attracted a lot of players – about 2,500 firms, according to certain estimates, some of which totally unexpected, such as Oltchim Ramnicu Valcea, a chemical company. The market is therefore very fragmented. The main players are Corina Gealan, Far Est, Suki or Lipoplast Timisoara.
The representatives of ANPFR, an employers association of the industry, say the market will start picking producers out this year, based on the finished product quality, in view of Romania’s accession to the European Union in 2007.
“We submitted the normative act draft on the design and execution of the thermo-insulating glass carpentry to the Ministry of Transports, Constructions and Tourism, and it may be out by this May. The normative act will make a positive impact, because only the companies that invest money will remain on the market. The others will have the possibility to work as subcontractors for producers or to sell and install (the thermo-insulating glass i.e.), like in the West,” the ANPFR chairman explained.
adrian.mirsanu@zf.ro