Canned meat producer Scandia Romana concluded last year with sales of 22 million euros, up nearly 50% on the previous year. Estimates for this year's sales indicate a 15% increase.

"One of the best performances was by Bucegi PATE, whose market share rose 2.5 times from 6% in 2003 to more than 15%, while Pate Sibiu retained its position of over 20%," says Sorin Bozdog, commercial director of Scandia Romania, who was quoting an AC Nielsen survey conducted at the end of last year. The survey showed that Scandia accounted for more than 43% of the canned meat market.

"Results are even better considering the Romanian canned meat market became very competitive in 2004. We launched a number of new products last year, particularly on the canned PATE segment and managed to complete a series of upgrades at our Sibiu facility," explained Bozdog. Scandia ran a 3.4 million-euro investment programme, 2 million euros of which were SAPARD funds. The money was invested in upgrading the factory and bringing it up to European Union standards. Investments announced for this year are worth half a million euros.

Scandia employs around 600 people and makes various kinds of canned food that can be divided into three categories: PATES (Poiana, Sibiu, Bucegi and Sibiel), tinned meat (Sibiu, Bucegi) and various types of cooked food. It also makes products under the "private label" system for the main supermarket chains on the Romanian market: Scandia, Aro, Clever, Nr. 1, Sarto, Carpati, CBA and La Grande Famiglia. It sells half of its products through retail chains.

Scandia's main shareholder is Romtehnoinvest Bucharest, which is owned by businessman Bogdan Gheorghiu, who took over the assets of the canned food producer from the Banking Assets Resolution Authority (AVAB). The Scandia factory in Sibiu was built 80 years ago by the Germa