The country had 201 active companies that made detergent, soap and household and personal care products at the end of 2013. The top five companies in this business accounted for almost 70% of the market.
The number one on the market is Procter&Gamble, with its plants in Timisoara and Urlati, followed by Greek-held InterstarChim and Unilever. Fourth and fifth are two smaller businesses developed by Lebanese and Iranian entrepreneurs.
The ranking is completely different now than it was in 2002 when Unilever’s production stood at more than RON100 million, putting it in the lead among detergent, soap and care products manufacturers. Another change is the exit of Colgate-Palmolive from the ranking, following the closure of the Brasov plant in 2008 where it made Super Cristal toothpaste and Norvea cream and employed 190 people.
The closure of the large plant of Colgate, the second leading producer of detergent, soap and other care products in 2002, cleared a path for small producers. The number of active companies in this industry rose to 201 from 189 in 2002 and 181 in 2008, while the top five businesses lost 20% of their market share going from almost 90% to some 70%.
Fourth largest company in this industry is Sun Industries (Ilfov County, near Bucharest) of Fawaz Hussein Riad (Lebanon), which ended last year with almost RON20 million revenue. Established two decades ago, the manufacturer climbed to its current position by making private label products for international retailers like Metro Cash&Carry, Carrefour, Mega Image and Billa, its corporate website says.
Private label products have conquered major market sectors like vegetable oil, yogurt, soap and chocolate, dominated by local brands until recently.
Interstar Chim’s Bucharest plant, too, makes private label products for international chains, but gets most of its revenue from the sale of its own branded products, like Biocarpet (carpet cleaner), Peak (toilet cleaner) and Rivex (window and dish cleaning product). It also distributes certain products like Vileda and Lactasyd.
The company also has export operations, which only generate 5% of its revenue, Kostas Fidanakis, commercial manager of Interstar Chim says. Total revenue went up from RON33 million in 2002 to RON78 million in 2008 and more than RON100 million last year.
(English version by Loredana Fratila-Cristescu)