“Our business is solid. We took care of every euro we spent. For 2009, I estimate business will stagnate,” General Manager of Coca-Cola HBC Romania, Calin Dragan, told Business Standard. Last year, the company posted net sales worth some €550 mln and a net profit of €66 mln.
Dragan added that the company’s strategy to raise efficiency included closing down the Iasi unit this year, considering that 70 percent of the production went to the Republic of Moldova. “In this situation, it is more viable for us to invest in Chisinau,” the General Manager indicated.
Meanwhile, Coca-Cola HBC invested €45 mln in Ploiesti in a cogeneration plant for reducing CO2 emissions, and in a completely automated warehouse, High-Bay, the first of its kind in Romania.
The value of the local soft drink market exceeds €1 billion, and major players are Coca-Cola HBC, Pepsi Americas, Romaqua, European Drinks, Parmalat, Pfanner, and URBB. Coca-Cola’s leading position is threatened by Pepsi, which opened a new factory near Bucharest, worth some €100 mln.
