Businessman Ilie Vonica, one of the most private and powerful entrepreneurs working in pharmaceutical distribution, has expanded a business started from scratch to a company worth 130m euros in less than 15 years, saying that he has a "solid growth plan" for the coming years, when he predicts Polisano will reach turnover worth 350m euros.
Ilie Vonica's investments include imports, distribution and retail of pharmaceuticals, and private clinics. The businessman has also contemplated buying a producer, namely Antibiotice Iasi.
At present, Polisano is battling it out with rivals Mediplus (part of A&D Pharma) and Relad for one of the top three positions on the drug distribution market.
"I started the first business in 1993, on the market of private health services. As a gynaecologist, I thought it best to invest in a specialised sector, and I managed to found a small clinic in 1993," Ilie Vonica, Polisano chairman, told ZF in an interview.
"It has not been easy, but I did not take out any loans, at least in the first 2-3 years. I took a small loan from a friend, which was quickly paid back. This way, I managed to found the clinic followed by the distribution firm," he recounts.
He thus set up a small lab and launched one of the first private clinics in Romania, which is still operational today. He believes the private clinic remains the "heart" of his businesses.
Polisano's business now covers both distribution operations, where Vonica is a single shareholder, as well as clinics and a hospital, which is a family business.
"We have a solid growth plan for this year, and for the coming period. We estimate to derive 350m euros in 2010 on the distribution segment alone," adds Vonica.
For 2007, Polisano has budgeted turnover worth 180m-euros.
Vonica says that he is not ruling out an alliance with an investor, but for the t
