“Trucks spend 14 hours on routes that should be traveled in four. It’s a shame that we don’t have a transport infrastructure and it’s a loss-inducing thing. We won’t get far like this,” Campean said.
Romania is at the bottom of the European ranking in terms of road infrastructure, with only 645 kilometers of highway. Work on the Comarnic-Brasov highway section, which is supposed to cross the mountains has not begun yet; Prime Minister Victor Ponta and Transport Minister Ioan Rus said early this year that news about the future of this highway should come on February 15. This is when it should be announced whether the concession contract was signed or not.
The Transport Ministry got back the management of the company in charge of Romania’s highways and national roads (CNADNR) at the end of last year. Meanwhile plans to develop the road network have changed, with many highway projects replaced with plans for expressways.
Rondocarton posted 253 million lei (EUR57 million) revenue in 2013 and last year’s revenue was 5% higher. The two plants that make corrugated cardboard packaging employ 270 people. Corrugated cardboard production depends on the trend of the economy so demand for packaging was higher last year. Almost 40% of the packaging used in Romania is made of corrugated cardboard.
“We budgeted growth of 5% for our revenue this year, too. We want to consolidate our business. We’ve grown a lot in the past few years, there is much room for growth left. We plan to invest EUR600,000 in equipment.”
Rondocarton invested several million euros in equipment upgrades and in buying new machinery last year and in 2013, as well. Its plants in Cluj and Targoviste make 30,000 tons of corrugated cardboard each a year.
“50 to 100 trucks leave the two plants every day carrying packaging to customers throughout the entire country.”
The two plants also export about 10% of their production to countries like Bulgaria, Serbia, Moldova and Switzerland, according to the latest data available.
“We also do indirect exports, i.e. manufacture packaging for companies that sell their products aboard,” Teofil Campean said.
The main corrugated cardboard packaging manufacturers in Romania besides Rondocarton are the Rossmann group with its Ambro Suceava and Romcarton plants, Vrancart Adjud, Dunapack, Ecopack Ghimbav, VPK Packaging, according to the data of the association representing the paper and pulp industry companies Rompap.
(English version by Loredana Fratila-Cristescu)