The areas boasting the biggest demands for ACC are the same with urban growth poles where there is also an intense activity on construction sites. This category includes, beside capital Bucharest, the cities of Timisoara, Constanta, Cluj-Napoca, Brasov and Iasi.
„On the segment of renovations, we dealt with major reconversion projects on the segment of office buildings, hotels and on the residential segment. In addition to that, there are also small renovation projects carried out by consumers individually, at home,“ said Marius Dragne, CEO of Xella Ro, one of the top players on the ACC manufacturing market.
The company boosted its turnover by 18% in 2016, to RON63.8 million (EUR14.2 million), after supplying materials, among others, to developers such as Lithuania’s Hanner (developers of residential compound The Park Apartments), Italy’s Nusco (Nusco Premio and Nusco Citta), Israeli companies Shikun & Binui and Red Sea Group (City Point and New Point), and also other local developers in Brasov, Bacau, Cluj-Napoca and Craiova.
The company also delivered ACC-type products to the construction site of shopping center Veranda Mall, inau¬gurated at the end of 2016, in Bucharest, and to do-it-yourself store Dedeman in Baneasa, which opened in June. Xella Ro also delivered products to office buildings constructed by Israeli AFI Europe and to buildings developed by investment fund Globalworth.
„We estimate an increase of nearly 6-7% in the masonry market, in 2016, in terms of value, and of nearly 5% in terms of volume. The market is valued at nearly EUR100 million and a volume of 2.5 million cubic meters,“ said Marius Dragne.
Xella owns in Romania the most modern production unit for ACC products in the region of Central and Eastern Europe, namely, the factory in Paulesti, built in 2010. Xella already has factories in most other European countries, and the investment in Paulesti has been thought from the beginning to serve the local market.
Xella Ro is the Romanian division of German masonry materials manufacturer Xella. It has been operating locally through the brand Ytong and inaugurated the factory in Paulesti in 2010, following an investment of EUR32 million.