“The growth can be explained by an increase in exports, a slight rise in prices of products sold and in the influence of sales of decorative paints,” Titeiu told ZF.
Arcon is the largest local manufacturer of bitumen membranes and one of the main producers of expanded polystyrene.
Exports of bitumen membranes that Arcon makes rose by 120% in the first eight months of the year, as the company consolidated its position in Bulgaria and Greece in 2011, its main foreign markets. It also entered the markets of Cyprus and Malta this year and is now in talks over contracts in Turkey and UK.
Bitumen membranes accounted for half of Arcon’s sales from January through August 2011, while polystyrene contributed 40% and the rest came from decorative paints.
The company entered paint market early this year after having invested about EUR1 million in a plant that makes about 32 tons of paint a day.
Arcon posted 99.7 million lei (EUR23 million) in sales last year and expects this year to reach EUR26 million to EUR27 million. (EUR1=RON4.3533)