For most of us, Carpati brand makes us remember vividly of the first cigarette we smoked, a brand that dominated the tobacco market long before the invasion of global giants. Now, Carpati, Snagov and Marasesti are the only cigarette brands produced at the Cigarette Factory in Sfantu Gheorghe, Covasna. Wall-Street visited the manufacturing unit, and talked to the person responsible for the smooth running of productions, Rada Gherghina, about how the brand lost its popularity, once multinational tobacco juggernauts made their foray into the local market, and how the company manages to stay afloat in a fiercely competitive environment.
A short intro to a 113-year-long history
The history of the Cigarette Factory in Sfantu Gheorghe, the largest city and county seat of Covasna, goes back to November 18, 1897. At that time, the plant was operating in the building where the City Hall is now, erected after the World War II.
During the two world wars, the factory served as receiving station for the wounded, but only for a short while, due to the lack of surgical equipment and drugs.
Cigarette Factory was having only 40 female workers at first, and the first paper-wrapped cigarette packet to come out the production line was K and H.
The workforce at the factory increased annually to 80 in 1932, and diversified product range. New tobacco brands emerged soon after, such as Virginia, Trabucos or Britanica.
In 1932, the transition to today’s paper and cardboard boxes and to packet packaging was already underway.
Between 1937 and 1939 the factory built apartments for its workers at the plant. In 1945, after the Second World War ended, the factory resumed production and introduced new machine tools for the manufacturing and packaging of Triumf, Rapid or United, most popular at that time.
In 1966, Cigarette Factory from Cluj Napoca shut d
