Gyarfas Kurko, the manager and majority shareholder in Apemin Tusnad, believes the move towards PET bottling has significantly marked the development of Tusnad brand, which last year reached sales worth around 10 million euros.
In five years, the manager expects turnover to reach 50m euros, from around 13 million euros in 2007. "We want to climb one or two positions in the ranking of top of mineral water bottlers, but remain an independent Romanian-held company," says Kurko on the company's medium-term objectives.
In recent years, Apemin Tusnad, one of the five largest Romanian-held companies on the mineral water market, has been a takeover target for investment funds and entrepreneurs interested in entering this sector. Kurko says he has not entered into any talks with potential buyers because he does not want to sell the company.
Future investments in the company's development could be partially financed with bank loans, but the manager says this year's sums will not be as large as in 2007.
"(...) Firstly, we want to maintain the sales growth rate, then expand the management and sales team and increase our focus on distribution and boost the weight of still water in our sales," specifies Kurko.
The manager has budgeted investments worth 1m euros this year to promote still drinks and Florina juices.
Apemin Tusnad estimates last year's sales growth stands at 40-50% against the previous year, which takes the value of sales to over 43 million RON (13m euros) last year.
At present, investments in Tusnad plant have reached around 16.5m euros. Last year, Tusnad invested 6.5m euros in a new bottling line, with around 60% of the sum being raised from banks.
The company, which employs 220 individuals at present, with 60 working in distribution, split from Perla Harghitei in 1999, a company controlled by the father of the ma
