“I expect a 4-5 times higher turnover and profit in 2013 against 2012. All our production will be exported this year,” Blidar told ZF. The plant’s turnover could therefore reach EUR48-60million this year, comparable to the 2008-2009 level, while profit could hit EUR6.8-8.5 million.
Blidar did not wish to say who he will deliver passenger railcars to or how many wagons.
Last year Blidar won a EUR100 million contract at an auction organized in Brazil by one of the world’s largest companies, Vale. Blidar’s company will deliver almost 100 railcars to this company.
The turnover of Astra Vagoane Calatori started to plummet after 2008, when the economic crisis began.
That year Astra Vagoane Calatori had a turnover of EUR65 million and a profit of EUR26 million.
Both the company’s turnover and profit diminished year after year between 2008 and 2012.
Last year the turnover of Astra Vagoane Calatori halved to around RON106 million (EUR12 million) from EUR25 million in 2011. The company’s profit stood at RON7.3 million (around EUR1.7 million), similar to the 2011 figure.
Blidar is one of the few Romanians who own plants built during Romania’s massive industrialization in the 70s-80s. He went into business after the fall of communism and produced subassemblies for railcars. He made his first million euros within a year.
(English version by Daniela Stoican)