Claudia Ariton
With investors becoming more selective and less willing to exceed budgets amid a weak economic backdrop, Bucharest's land market has seen a significant decrease in prices over the last two years and it is expected to shed another five to 15 per cent on average in 2012, experts say.
Susținută de un concern cu un capital de 400 de milioane de euro și având proiecte de 26 de milioane de euro în derulare pe piața românească, Stulz Planaqua a reușit să se impună ca un jucător redutabil în domeniul potabilizării și tratării apelor uzate. Iar succesul companiei pe această piață este asigurat prin abordarea fiecărui proiect cu maximă seriozitate și competență, după cum a declarat Gigel Enache, general manager al Stulz Planaqua România, într-un interviu acordat "Business Arena".
Having already delivered more than 200,000 sqm of logistic facilities, Ploiesti West Park continues its expansion, attracting new clients. Representatives of Alinso Group, the company which has developed the project, estimate that the business park will be completed in ten years' time, with a total construction value of around 750 million Euro, including the infrastructure works.
Swede Tord Holmstrom is no stranger to speed and dynamism. Proud owner of a 2008 Corvette, the Scania Romania general manager also hopes to drive his company to success in this market.
To achieve that, Holmstrom said the company planed to invest around three million euro this year. The money will finance a number of projects such as improving its services to clients, staff training, opening a Scania dealership in the Bacau region and in its participation to the Young European Truck Driver competition, which allows the company to promote the drivers' profession.
In cadrul unui interviu oferit in exclusivitate pentru "Business Arena", Antoaneta Curteanu, CEO al Unicredit Leasing, a explicat ca anul trecut compania a operat schimbari de structura a retelei sale de vânzari, dar si a gamei de produse pentru fiecare segment in parte, venind in intâmpinarea clientilor cu produse competitive. Compania ofera servicii de leasing auto, atât financiar, cât si operational, de echipamente, imobiliar, precum si finantarea de proiecte complexe, fiind, potrivit Antoanetei Curteanu, primul jucator in topul firmelor de profil din România de peste patru ani.
While the much-debated financial crisis has had a negative impact on the entire real estate industry and demand has increasingly focused on low cost retail spaces, analysts expect 2012 to be a difficult year for retailers. Twelve new commercial centers have been slated for completion in 2012, but real estate agents remain skeptical whether all of them will be ready by the end of the year.
Aflata la conducerea singurei societati de asigurari din România care activa si inainte de 1990, doamna Mariana Diaconescu, Presedinte Directorat ASIROM, are ca obiectiv pastrarea pozitiei de top pe piata de profil pentru companie. In acest context, eforturile ASIROM sunt canalizate spre dezvoltarea unor proiecte de business ce presupun eficientizarea activitatii si cresterea veniturilor.
While admitting that the crisis has proved difficult to manage for both Romania and Hungary, Oszkar Fuzes, the Hungarian Ambassador to Bucharest, feels a great sense of satisfaction for his input in creating a stronger level of cooperation and trust between the two countries. In an exclusive interview with Business Arena Magazine, the Ambassador expressed his confidence in Romania's future economic prospects, even though its development might be slowed down by the financial crisis affecting all Europe.
While the development of the logistics sector is expected to add some 25 billion Euro to Romania's GDP by 2025 and create around 150,000 new jobs, the participants to a seminar recently organized by Archicom assessed Romania's potential of becoming the logistics hub for Central and Eastern Europe.
With an audience of around 250 experts, who analyzed the opportunities that Romania has to offer in the logistics field, the seminar was organized in partnership with the European Gateways Platform, the Dutch-Romanian Network, the Dutch-Romanian Chamber of Commerce and PwC Romania. In this context, Gerard F.A. Kuijs, CEO, Archicom Consultants + Archineers + Managers and Vice President of the Dutch Romanian Network talked about the latest developments affecting Romania's logistics sector in an exclusive interview with Business Arena.
While new openings of office facilities have been few and far between this year, the market has focused on renting activities, real estate analysts told Business Arena. At the same time, they have identified two major trends that they believe will have a strong impact on the local market in the near future.
Beer producers see positive prospects for beer sales and consumption levels this year, in spite of a 3.5 per cent decrease in 2010 to 17 million hectoliters. Therefore, experts indicate a potential growth level of five to six per cent in 2011.
Acatiu Mora, president of The Association of Hops Producers in Romania, shares the optimistic view on sales growth, pointing out the changes that the beer market has seen over the last few years.
While the economy is still not out of the woods yet, proper management and implementation of projects along with growth in internal demand might signal the debut of a slow, but steady recovery, Steven van Groningen, head of Foreign Investors Council and President of Raiffeisen Bank Romania, told Business Arena Magazine.
The prospects of economic recovery remain pessimistic in Romania in 2011, investments being held back by a high level of uncertainty at European level. "When talking about economic growth, we have to take into account the quality of that growth. The economic growth in Romania is largely export-driven and, because of that, it is also rather vulnerable. There is nothing wrong with exports, but we can really claim the crisis is over when domestic demand picks up again. Thus a revived economy is driven by internal demand.
While most segments of the real estate market have seen a significant decrease in sales over the last two years, penthouses enjoy the benefits of a less fluctuating demand from clients in search of luxury and comfort, analysts told Business Arena Magazine. Thus, the selling prices for such apartments still reach up to 3,000 euro/sqm. Representing one privileged market segment, despite the ongoing financial instability, luxury apartments will continue to see a steady demand.
With plans to invest in larger aircraft and targeting a 10 million Euro turnover this year, business-air charter Eurojet Romania continues to press ahead with its development in this market, according to company officials.
Established in 2004, when the Rompetrol Group of Companies decided to create its own aviation division, Eurojet Romania has operated as an independent business-air charter since the end of 2009. "We are the oldest private aviation company in Romania and we have the lead on market share," said Alexis Grabar, General Manager of Eurojet Romania, in an exclusive interview with Business Arena Magazine.
Sharing a common Latin background, a similar openness towards business and investment, as well as close linguistic roots, Argentina and Romania have already developed the platform to promote bilateral trade and businesses with one another.
In addition to the aspects mentioned above, we discussed with Gabriel Eduardo Puente, counselor within the Embassy of Argentina in Bucharest, a number of issues in the Romanian-Argentinean partnership. In an exclusive interview with Business Arena, Puente pointed out that Romanians and Argentineans share much in common:
In spite of the lackluster performance displayed by the car sales market, Porsche Romania general manager Gunther Seifert is optimistic. He strongly believes in the growth potential car sales have in this country.
So Seifert is looking forward to a recovery in the domestic economy by 2011, when he estimates the effects of the crisis will start to diminish. Meanwhile, his company is focusing on increasing the market share for its brands in Romania. a
Providing entertainment and sports facilities both for adults and children, Pitztal remains an attractive tourist destination in the Alps. Local tourism experts claim that the glacier region has Austria's most reliable snow conditions, with Pitztaler being the highest glacier of Tirol, reaching up to 3,440 meters.
Believing in Romania's potential in the banking sector, Mihai Bogza, CEO of Bancpost, is not afraid of the crisis. In fact, he is ready to take advantage of 'the opportunities created in the new economic and financial context.' For those lifting an eyebrow in suspicion, Bogza has already identified one such aspect: 'In a crisis period, companies tend to manage costs in a more efficient way.'
Unirea Medical Center is keen to continue its 2010-11 investment strategy, now that Advent International, an investment fund, has become an 80 per cent shareholder of the medical group. Thus, Unirea Medical Center is expected to allocate around 30 million Euro for its development in the Romanian market.
Strengthening the bilateral commercial relations between Greece and Romania, while supporting the small and medium enterprises by extending their businesses on new markets, were among the key subjects discussed at the recent roundtable, "The Greek-Romanian Partnership: Business Opportunities." The roundtable took place at the Athenee Palace Hilton hotel, as part of the Business Forum and Exhibition of Food Products and Beverages.
