The top three companies were again the three cement producers – Holcim, Carpatcement Holding and Lafarge, according to a ZF analysis based on the Finance Ministry data.
On the other hand, the cumulated net profit of the top 20 companies stood at more than RON200 million, double as much as in 2013.
The increase in the financial results of the major construction materials producers is because some segments, such as residential and non-residential, showed signs of a rebound despite an overall construction sector decline last year.
“The growth (of financial results i.e.) was driven by the investments in the residential and non-residential sectors,” says Francois Petry, the chief executive of Holcim Romania,
The infrastructure sector did not perform well, even though it is a necessary sector for a sound growth of the construction industry and of the economy, he added.
Holcim revenue increased by 9% to RON974 million in 2014 and net profit reached RON72 million, while in 2013 the company posted losses.
Only five out of the top twenty companies are held by Romanian entrepreneurs, while the rest are subsidiaries of multinationals or held by foreign private equity firms.
The largest company owned by a Romanian businessman is AdePlast (Marcel Barbut), which posted 19% growth to more than RON300 million revenue last year, while net profit stood at RON13 million, an increase of 44% on 2013. Another Romanian-owned manufacturer that posted growth last year was Bilka Steel (Horatiu Tepes). Bilka makes metal roofing and posted 29% higher revenue, RON135 million, while net profit rose by about 30% to RON8 million.
Horatiu Tepes says 2015 will be a good year for the company. “The year started strong, some are even talking about a new boom. That won’t happen but the sales in the first three months of the year along with the lending rebound are factors that allow us to be optimistic.” (EUR1=RON4.4830)
(English version by Loredana Fratila-Cristescu)