Consumer goods company Unilever South-Central Europe posted 499 million RON (138 million euros) in turnover on the Romanian market in 2005, an increase of 23% from the 456m RON (112 million euros) in the previous year.
Calculated in RON, the growth amounted to 9%. “The market has grown overall; last year and this year have been good for us and for the other companies in this industry,” stated Alexandra Gatej, Unilever”s manager for the South-Central Europe.
The company, which makes Rama margarine, Dero detergents and Knorr sauces, announced it would be relocating all its lines of business to the manufacturing site in Ploiesti. As a result, the margarine production lines in Targu-Mures, and the sauce and spice lines in Otopeni will be relocated to Ploiesti, where they company already manufactures detergents.
Unilever intends to sell its industrial assets and adjoining land in Targu-Mures and Otopeni (Ilfov county). Unilever currently employs almost 400 people.
“A large part of our employees will follow us to Ploiesti. We are in talks with a company that will handle the sale of the two assets; we hope this process will be completed by the end of the year,” Alexandra Gatej added.
The biggest production facility of the company is located in Ploiesti, as is the distribution centre.
Unilever owns the plot of land on which the new facility will be located. Unilever is one of the most important manufacturers of consumer goods in Romania. It has invested more than 90 million euros on this market thus far, according to the latest available information.
The Unilever South-Central European division encompasses Albania, Bulgaria, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Macedonia, Moldova and Serbia and Montenegro, besides Romania.
Its main rivals on the Romanian non-food consumer goods market are Procter & Gamble, Henkel, Beiersdorf, Colgate Palmolive, L”Oreal and Interstar Chim.