“We want to grow far beyond EUR100 million over the next decade. We plan to innovate and come up with new products every year. Research and development, not only manufacturing are the future,” Catalin Stroe told ZF in an interview.
“Anyone can manufacture but not everyone can innovate. We, for instance, invest in developing new transmission and accessories for our machinery.”
The company sells tillers, motomowers, brushcutters, chainsaws and other products. Ruris has a R&D lab in Craiova, where it designs its equipment. The company buys the necessary parts from international suppliers, with assembly done in Romania.
Ruris posted 73% growth in revenue to EUR11.7 million last year.
“Sales on the Romanian market are our main stream of income, while 3% of the sales are made abroad. We are already present on markets such as Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Lithuania, France, Greece, Turkey, Cyprus, Portugal and the Republic of Moldova. We want to focus not only on Romania but also on exports.”
Demand for farm equipment in Romania will only increase because almost half of the country’s population lives in rural areas and more and more Romanians are investing in subsistence farms.
“Not only those who live in rural areas own farms, people who live in cities, in Bucharest, do, too. We know doctors who own a second home in a rural area and grow vegetables there.”
The company started developing its franchising system in 2014, so the sales per store now stand at EUR120,000 to EUR220,000. Ruris equipment is currently available from 170 dealers and seven company-owned stores but the plan is to grow to 250 dealers in the next two years and expand the franchise concept, Stroe said.
Ruris also plans to develop a small tractor to be launched next year. The tractor will come in 12 to 30 HP, all-wheel or rear-wheel drive versions and use only manual transmission.
“The tractor will cost less than EUR10,000. We have already built the first prototypes.”
The Romanian farm equipment industry is now down to eight companies from almost 30 twenty-four years ago. The local market used to make every type of equipment necessary, while today it only makes small equipment.
Ruris is one of those eight and its focus is small farms of up to several hectares. Rivals include Stihl and Husqvarna.
(English version by Loredana Fratila-Cristescu)