Romaqua boosts water and beer production

Date:2009-5-27 10:16:00

In the first quarter of the year, Romaqua group, controlled by Octavian Cretu, boosted its mineral water production by 12% against a year ago, while volumes of bottled juices remained unchanged.

Water and still drinks boast the biggest weights in the group's sales, but this year the biggest contribution to the company's turnover will be brought by the Albacher beer, brand launched on the market in the spring of 2008. "Volumes of bottled beer in the first three months are over 6% above the results of the first quarter of 2008," specified Mihaela Draghici, communication manager at Romaqua Group.

Last year, the company reported 20% higher sales of water and juice compared with 2007, with Borsec and Giusto as the most important brands in its portfolio on these segments. The producer also operates on the coffee market with the Metropolitan Caffe brand, but this has a low percentage in the group's overall revenues. Draghici specified Romaqua cut down coffee production in the first three months as compared with a year ago to prepare the market for the launch of the product in a new packaging.

The group's consolidated turnover last year reached 478m RON (130m euros), up 45% from 2007, with the biggest contribution to this advance having been brought by the launch of the first beer brand in its portfolio, Albacher.

The group's biggest investment project, worth 40m Euros, was finalised in mid-2008 with the opening of the Sebes brewery, which allowed the producer to enter a new market. For the first year, Romaqua wants to reach a 4-5% share of the local beer market.