A boom in real estate projects in Cluj county has encouraged the sales figures registered by construction material producers by as much as 60% in the first 9 months of this year against the same period in 2006.
In fact, construction materials producers are finding it difficult to cover demand on the domestic market, with the high consumption of construction materials estimated to be worth in excess of 6.5bn euros in 2007.
Simcor Oradea group of firms, a producer and distributor of construction materials, in the first nine months of this year saw sales in Cluj county advance by 10% against the same period last year, to 2m euros. The group forecasts turnover worth above 75m euros for this year, up 25% on 2006. "Turnover growth drivers in the Cluj area were the regional development of the constructions sector, the emergence of some new housing projects, apartment blocks and shopping centres, which generated demand for construction materials," says Dumitru Manucu, general manager of Simcor Management Oradea, the group's management company.
The group operated investments worth 6m euros this year. It generated ACC (autoclaved cellular concrete) sales worth 77m RON (around 20m euros) and expects ACC sales to rise by 10% to 84m RON. At present, the group owns 9 companies that produce or sell construction materials.
Deva-based Macon, a construction materials producer, in the first nine months of this year generated over 60% higher sales in the Cluj area against the same time in 2006. This year, the company expects a slight increase in market share on the ACC segment from 14 to 15% in the wake of investments in production. According to Macon representatives, this year's forecast turnover stands at 38m euros, up 25% from 2006. The Hunedoara-based company carried out investments worth 5m euros this year. Macon (formed in 1992) was taken over by Polish-based Enterprise Investors investment fund for around 35m euros last year. The fund plans to reinvest generated incomes to further develop the business and will also earmark funds for possible acquisitions on the market. The fund wants to float the company on the Stock Exchange by 2009.
Construction materials producer Elpreco from Craiova derived 45% higher sales in the Cluj area in the first nine months of this year amid a boom in housing constructions. In 2006, Elpreco generated turnover worth 38.9m euros, whilst company representatives expect this year's indicators to advance by 25%, to more than 48m euros.
According to company representatives, this year's sales trend will be supported by the over investments worth 30m euros, which the company has operated over the past 10 years.
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