Meat products producer Aldis Calarasi last year made sales worth 52 million euros, a 30% increase year-on-year. "The rise was due to the expansion of our own distribution network, as well as to the fact that we entered major supermarket chains," said George Nagy, chairman of Aldis Calarasi. For 2005 the company expects to see sales rise by 20%. "These are pessimistic forecasts because this year we will be launching new products on the market following completion of investments last year," explained Nagy.
The company recently completed an investment of over half a million euros in a production line for dry-cured salami. "The market for dry-cured salami is already quite crowded and will become even more so after the other producers announce their intention to invest in this area, which is a reason why we had to come up with something new. Sales of salami were quite solid last year and demand is rising," maintained Nagy.
Aldis made a strong entry in the major supermarket chains last year with its own brands and also with its own brands under a "private label" system. "By working under a private label system for major supermarket chains, we are trying to adapt to market demands that currently ask for high quality products at reasonable prices," says Nagy.
The company was recently granted an export licence by the EU, making it the eighth Romanian producer in this field with permission to export to EU member states. "After getting the licence, we will in effect be able to say that our production standards are aligned with EU standards," said Nagy.
Aldis invested around 1 million euros in a production facility in the Ceptura area of Prahova county, but since put the facility back on the market after customs duties exemptions previously applied to the area were cancelled.
"So far we haven't found a firm buyer, but we recently received new signals that the facility is attractive since many producers have again encountered problems linked to the investment threshold imposed by the EU," said Nagy.
The cold meats industry was recently hit by an order from the National Sanitary-Veterinary and Food Safety Agency (ANSVSA) requiring the suspension of activities carried out by about two thousand milk and meat processing units in the country that do not comply with European norms. stelian.negrea@zf.ro
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