Ziarul Financiar, alongside Enterprise Investors and BCR, with the help of Triple Helix Association, awarded the “Business Champions” prizes to some of the most dynamic entrepreneurs in Romania.
At its fourth consecutive edition, the ZF project intends to reward the most dynamic Romanian-held companies in the biggest regions in Romania and in Bucharest. As in previous years, Ziarul Financiar scanned Romanian-held companies based on Trade Registry data and selected those with the biggest rises in the last three years.
“This is about a lot of work, confidence in myself and my team. Romania has the advantage of manufacturing quality products at small prices,” says Doina Cepalis, sole shareholder of Te-Rox Prod a company in Pascani (NE Romania), whose products, car covers and seat belts for children, are distributed in 52 countries, from Western Europe to Russia and the US.
She thought an investment on a segment of mandatory products such as those ensuring children’s car safety would not fail, and her company was one of the 12 rewarded by ZF.
Businessman Mihai Miron, who controls pharmaceutical company Ropharma, the winner of the award for the entrepreneur of the year, says the most important thing in order to make it on your own is to have a clear mission.
“We had an extraordinary chance in the early ’90s to fill a gap in the drug market. Decisiveness is needed in order to succeed, and loving what you have to do,” Miron also said.
Cristian Nacu, partner within Enterprise Investors, says Romanian entrepreneurs have built their businesses out of necessity, because 20 years ago foreign capital was almost non-existent, while consumption needs were huge, with their only option for survival being growth.
(English version by Daniela Stoican)