Transilvania Formaggi builds 14.5m-euro plant

Bistrita-Nasaud-based Transilvania Formaggi, a Romanian-Italian company set up at the beginning of 2006, will invest 14.5 million euros in building a milk processing plant in Gherla, Cluj county. The investment is made through a Sapard programme. “We hope to start production at the end of 2007,” stated Claudia Iliescu, one of the shareholders of the company. According to company representatives, the Sapard funding will provide some 2 million euros of the total value of the project. “The rest of the amount up to 14.5 million euros, will be self-funded,” said Claudia Iliescu. The Italian shareholders of Transilvania Formaggi are Francesco Canzano and Raffaele Garofalo. Claudia Iliescu and Francesco Canzano are also the owners of the Cheese & Cheese, a milk processing plant with nine years of experience in the field and 30 employees, located in Beclean, Bistrita-Nasaud county. “In 2006, Cheese & Cheese invested in improving the quality of the raw material and in opening and setting up milk collection centres in three counties in order to comply with the terms imposed by the European Union. In 2007, all investments will be aimed at the newly established company,” said Camelia Iliescu.