Petrom, Rompetrol and Dacia, the three domestic companies present in top 500 last year, managed to move up in the ranking, though the Romanian economy coped with a second year of recession. Rompetrol climbed from 70th place a year ago to 24th, while Automobile Dacia advanced eight positions, from 42nd place in 2010.
The Deloitte survey says that Romania increased its level of representation in top 500 Central Europe, showing that domestic companies reached a market share of 8%, from 6% a year ago. Thus, 38 companies from Romania are present in the ranking, compared with 33 in the previous year.
However, while Romania is the third largest market in the region by population, only behind Poland and Ukraine, the number of companies that entered the ranking (38) places the domestic market in fifth place, after Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Ukraine.
This year’s ranking, just like last year’s, finds seven out of the top ten spots held by oil and energy companies. The growth rates reported by these companies (over 30% in the case of the top two) also seem to be out of sync with a European economy wobbled by recession and by pressures on cost cuts.
One of the best news in the ranking this year comes from Romanian company Grup Servicii Petroliere, controlled by Gabriel Comanescu, who has built the most powerful business in the Romanian industry of hydrocarbon drilling over the past ten years. The company is the largest Romanian business by 2010 turnover and beat RCS&RDS, a constant presence in recent years’ rankings. Moreover, GSP ranks second among the 500 largest companies in Central Europe in terms of 2010 turnover growth against 2009 (over 150%).
Continental Automotive (car parts) or Cargill Agricultura are among the winners of the past year, managing to enter top 500 Central Europe.
(English version by Catalina Apostoiu; Editing by Loredana Fratila-Cristescu and Radu Bostan)