November 11, 2025. Sântimbru, Alba. TRANSAVIA, The leader in Romania’s chicken meat market and one of the most reputable family-owned businesses with 100% Romanian capital is expanding its unique, fully integrated business model, which includes its own facilities, by adding a new line of business: pet food production. The new division marks a strategic milestone in the company’s development and naturally complements the integrated model that defines the TRANSAVIA brand, adding a new dimension of sustainability and resource optimization from grain to fork, now „and at the bowl”.
„We are beginning an important strategic phase that will allow us to continue our mission of doing things the right way and offering safe, high-quality products. For us, expanding into pet food is not a change of direction, but a natural continuation of our way of doing things: correctly, responsibly, and with care for everything that surrounds us, say Ioan Popa, President and Founder of TRANSAVIA. „We have always chosen not to waste anything and to turn resources into value. Now we are doing the same by offering high-quality products for the non-verbal members of our families as well, because the new link in our 100% integrated business model allows us to ensure that all parts of the chicken are used efficiently, avoiding the generation of waste from by-products and reducing food waste. Basically, the parts of the chicken that are not preferred by consumers or are not intended for human consumption, but which are perfectly suitable and nutritious for animal feed, along with other carefully selected ingredients, will be processed to create quality, nutritious and safe food for dogs and cats.”
The record investment, amounting to 763 million lei (150 million euros), is made entirely from own funds, by reinvesting the profit generated by the company, being the largest entrepreneurial initiative of this type in the region. With a built-up area of 65,000 sqm (the equivalent of 9 FIFA-standard football pitches), the new factory will be able to produce enough food to feed annually over 11 million dogs and cats, offering a wide range of dry and wet products, scientifically formulated by teams of specialists to ensure the optimal nutrition of pets of all ages and breeds. The factory, located in Ciugud, Alba County, in a strategic area near the A10 motorway (Sebeș – Turda), will be the largest pet food production facility in the country and one of the largest and most modern in Europe. At the beginning of next year we will start the installation of the equipment, followed by the testing of the lines and the calibration of the processes to start actual production in second half of 2026.
„This expansion is not just „an investment in a factory”, but an investment in the sustainable future of an economy that can and must produce value at the highest level. We expect this TRANSAVIA investment to generate long-term prosperity within local communities, serving as a catalyst for economic and social development by stimulating local businesses, strengthening a network of local partners and suppliers, and creating jobs. At the company level, in the medium term, within 2 to 3 years from the start of sales, we aim to let's increase EBITA from over 100 million euros currently to approximately 250 million euros, with a significant contribution from the new division,”, say Ioan Popa, President and Founder of TRANSAVIA.
Sustainable by design, with a low environmental footprint and high efficiency
Through Zero Loss Policy, which defines TRANSAVIA's operations, and the new pet food factory will have increased efficiency, being fully automated, digitized, and robotized. The production platform will benefit from energy, steam, and hot water recovery systems to optimize energy consumption. Photovoltaic panels with a total installed power of 12 MWp (the equivalent of the annual energy consumption of about 5,000 households in Romania) and storage systems will be installed to maximize the use of green energy in the production processes. The factory will feature high-performance filters and its own water treatment plant. All handling operations within the factory will be carried out using electric equipment, with no polluting emissions.
The new TRANSAVIA factory will be equipped with state-of-the-art equipment that will enable automated processes, real-time monitoring, strict quality control, and the efficient use of resources throughout the technological process, thereby maximizing efficiency and minimizing the environmental footprint. Completely digitized, automated, and robotized, the factory will feature a continuous and automated flow with increased efficiency across all processes (from production, packaging, and logistics) and international competitiveness. Practically, the line will be „fed” what it needs (raw materials, packaging, labels, printing ink, etc.), and it will perform efficiently all the way to palletization. The warehouse will also be equipped with modern technology, featuring advanced automations down to the level of carts that independently transport products to and from their assigned bays, including performing inventory.
The supply chain is designed to be as short as possible, avoiding unnecessary transport. Thus, synergies with the core activity will be maximized, ensuring high-quality, fresh raw material derived from the processing of chickens from its own farms and high-quality processed animal proteins produced in the country's largest protein meal factory, owned by TRANSAVIA, as well as grains cultivated by the Crop Division on approximately 10,000 hectares. In addition, to increase operational efficiency and independence, the investment also includes a dedicated, fully automated unit for the internal production of metal packaging (cans), integrated into the factory's technological flow.
Through this significant investment, TRANSAVIA will directly contribute to the state budget through taxes and duties and will support community development, consolidating local economic chains by integrating regional producers into a sustainable and high-performing ecosystem. The company is determined to support local producers with guidance and consultancy so they can constantly deliver raw materials at the desired quality, thereby contributing to the prosperity of local communities.
At the same time, the project will contribute both to rebalancing the trade deficit in the agri-food sector by bringing innovation, local value, and quality to the pet food sector—a segment estimated, according to Euromonitor 2024 data, at over 1 billion euros and a growth of nearly 10% compared to the previous year.
„We have observed growing demand for high-quality products in this sector, as well as a lack of manufacturing solutions in our country, and we believe that our expertise in manufacturing and distribution allows us to bring significant value to the pet food market. The investment in this new plant represents a strategic step in diversifying our operations by adding a new, interconnected link to our integrated 100% business model and strengthening our position in the region. We aim to become one of the top 10 international players in the pet food market, while maintaining the high standards of quality and sustainability that define TRANSAVIA. This state-of-the-art facility will undoubtedly have a significant long-term economic impact, helping to strengthen Romania’s position as a global player and promote high-quality, nutritious, tasty, and sustainable Romanian pet products in international markets,”, explain Theodora Popa-Liteanu, Vice President TRANSAVIA.
„Made the way it should be”: from our family to yours, for people and pets
The new business line extends the TRANSAVIA promise – Done right – and to the non-verbal members of the „extended family.” With over 34 years of experience in the food industry, TRANSAVIA is transferring the know-how accumulated in quality control, safety, and sustainability to a new market segment, aiming to redefine production standards end-to-end and for pet food. The products will be scientifically developed, using fresh ingredients of the highest quality, and will be tailored to the nutritional requirements of dogs and cats to ensure the health and well-being of the animals, fully complying with all regulations in force at the European level.
„Wherever the TRANSAVIA brand appears, it is a guarantee of product quality and safety. Our consumers everywhere trust that we keep our promises and that we do not compromise on these essential priorities for us. And for this new segment, we will implement the strictest quality control and food safety standards, we will use advanced technologies and rigorous testing processes to ensure that each product meets the highest standards. Just as in the case of the business that made us famous, we will always put the needs and preferences of consumers (this time dogs and cats) and animal lovers at the center of all our product development actions. These will be based on a scientific approach to ensure the optimal balance between nutrition and taste, while maintaining our high quality standards. We are sure that the speechless members of the „extended family” will love the new products just as much as people love TRANSAVIA products., explain Theodora Popa-Liteanu, Vice President TRANSAVIA.
TRANSAVIA is the leader of the local chicken meat market, being one of the most important family businesses, which owns and produces the brands of Fragedo chicken meat and chicken meat based semi-prepared foods Papane. With 100% Romanian capital, the company is one of the largest budget contributors and Romanian employers, with approximately 2,300 employees. It is the only major producer in the region that controls the entire production chain, from grain cultivation to the finished product delivered to consumers. All chickens come exclusively from its own farms (reproduction, incubation, and growth) and are processed only in owned facilities, ensuring complete traceability and constant standards of quality and full safety. Every year, in the farms located in 8 counties, the owned slaughterhouses and processing plant, the family business produces over 120,000 tons of chicken meat, respecting the highest standards of quality and food safety, confirmed by prestigious international certifications. Approximately 30% of production is destined for export to European states and other international markets. In over 34 years of activity, TRANSAVIA has constantly invested in modernization and state-of-the-art technology and has adopted innovation as a source of sustainable business growth and predictability for the future.
There are over 4.2 million dogs in Romania (9th place in Europe) and 4.4 million cats (10th place in Europe)[1]. Euromonitor 2024 indicates that Romania's pet food market has surpassed EUR 1 billion (4,929 million RON), up by +9.7% compared to 2023, with a proportion of 63% dog food and 37% cat food. Available market data indicates that in modern trade, less than 3% of cat and dog food comes from Romania.
[1] Source: https://worldpopulationreview.com/country-rankings/pet-ownership-statistics-by-country
