“I hope the new government [after December 9 parliamentary elections] will take into consideration that it is the creators of added value who can support the economy, not those who move money from one place to another in order to get rich quickly,” Blidar said.
Asked by ZF what turnover he has budgeted for 2013 at Astra Vagoane Calatori, Blidar said he doesn’t have the company’s results for this year yet and has yet to plan next year’s budget.
Eyes on CFR Calatori
“This year CFR Calatori has not bought any passenger rail cars, we’ll see what happens next year,” he said.
Astra Vagoane Calatori is the main supplier of passenger cars for state-run passenger railway carrier CFR Calatori. Blidar’s company also has contracts with railway companies in Egypt, France, Iran and other countries for the delivery of rolling stock components.
This year Blidar won a EUR100 million contract in a Brazil auction organized by one of the world’s largest companies, Vale.
Blidar’s company will deliver almost 100 passenger rail cars to this company.
In Europe Blidar had won two auctions in 2010 to deliver 50 passenger rail cars to a Czech-based railway operator and several tens of passenger rail cars to a railway operator in Italy.
First rail car “by Blidar” in Brazil
“As of 2013 we will start to deliver passenger rail cars to Brazil.”
Blidar is one of the few Romanians who own factories built during Romania’s massive industrialization of the ’70s-’80s. He has been doing business in the railway sector for more than a decade.
Last year Astra Vagoane Calatori had a turnover of RON106 million (around EUR23.3 million) and a profit of RON7.7 million (around EUR1.7 million), down from the previous year, according to Finance Ministry data.
Tram under Siemens license
This year Blidar has manufactured the first prototype Imperio tram, under a Siemens license, in Bucharest. He plans to manufacture more Imperio trams and sell them in Romania and abroad.
The businessman has invested around EUR8 million in a production line in Bucharest, after Astra Vagoane Calatori bought a manufacturing license from Siemens. He is currently awaiting tram auctions.
Apart from Astra Vagoane Calatori, Blidar also owns Astra Vest, Sirv Titu, marble plant Marmura Bucuresti, Tristar Bucuresti and Banca Feroviara bank. (EUR1=RON4.5316)
(English version by Daniela Stoican)