The two-digit growth forecast comes after BriseGroup posted an increase of 10% in sales to RON1.27 billion and was the only Romanian-owned trader among the top five, after Cargill, ADM, and Ameropa.
Only ten entrepreneur-owned businesses in Romania have gone beyond RON1 billion revenue and they include Dedeman (do-it-yourself retailer), Oscar Downstream (fuel), RCS&RDS (telecom) and Altex (computer and electronics retailer).
“The development of BriseGroup in 2014 is the result of investments in infrastructure, storage space and logistics facilities in the last few years. The 2015 growth target is 25% and is based on the consolidation of the team,” the company officials told ZF.
BriseGroup has agricultural commodity trading and fertilizer, pesticide and seed distribution operations and operates a network of silos.
On a market marked by high revenue and low profit margins, BriseGroup’s net profit fell to a six-year low in 2014, reaching RON3.4 million. It posted its highest profit in 2012, RON24.5 million.
BriseGroup had almost 400 employees at the end of last year, compared with merely 32 in 2009.
The company has developed aggressively over the last few years, investing tens of millions of euros in storage infrastructure and logistics. Last summer, its owner expanded into agricultural finance, after having established non-bank financial institution Brise Capital Group.
(English version by Loredana Fratila-Cristescu)