“Supreme (the company Kandia bought in 2011, e.n.) has a somewhat longer history of product exports than Kandia. We started exporting the Kandia brands [as late as] last year,” said Gabriela Munteanu, marketing manager of the chocolate producer, which ended 2012 with EUR33 million revenue.
Kandia-Dulce, which bought chocolate maker Primola from the Jabra brothers in 2011 and integrated it later, exports Primola, Kandia and Magura products. It also goes to international fairs to promote its products and will participate to the largest such fair, Anuga, in October.
The brand that generates a lot of sales is Rom, which sold 22.8 million units, worth more than EUR6 million, according to ZF’s calculations. Rom, initially consisting of a cream-filled chocolate bar, also entered the sandwich cookie segment, where its rivals are Oreo (Mondelez International), Merlin and Eugenia (of Dobrogea bakery company).
Kandia-Dulce has recently changed its general manager and is now run by Mihai Georgescu, an executive with a 21-year experience working for Wrigley Romania, the wholesaler of Orbit and Winterfresh chewing gums.
Georgescu says the fourth quarter usually generates 35% to 40% of total chocolate sales.
“The main chocolate season is yet to begin. What we are aiming for is [for revenue to be] flat.”
Kex Confectionery, the company the Meinl family uses to manage the two Romanian chocolate producers Kandia-Dulce and Heidi Chocolate got a capital inflow of EUR11.5 million in July, which it will use to develop the business in Romania.
(English version by Loredana Fratila-Cristescu)