The leader of the chicken meat market in Romania is expanding its business model, fully integrated by adding a new line of activity: the production of pet food.
Beyond the figures, the project reflects a strategic step by which the company is strengthening its fully integrated business model.
„It is a large-scale project, a record investment of 763 million lei (approximately 150 million euros), financed entirely from own funds through the reinvestment of profits. The new factory will have a built area of 65,000 square meters and will be able to produce annually dry and wet food for dogs and cats, enough to feed over 11 million dogs and cats annually. We are talking about the largest pet food production unit in Romania and one of the largest and most modern in Europe. We designed the factory from scratch to be 100% sustainable, automated and digitalized, with a continuous flow of production, packaging and logistics. This investment will significantly contribute to our goal for the next 2–3 years: to increase our EBITA from over 100 million euros today to approximately 250 million euros.”, he explained to Forbes Romania, Dr. Ing. Ioan Popa, President and founder of TRANSAVIA.
According to him, in the new factory everything is designed to minimize resource consumption, losses and the ecological footprint. The unit will be fully automated, digitized and robotized, integrating the most modern technologies for minimal resource consumption and maximum productivity.
The production platform will be equipped with intelligent systems for the recovery of energy, steam and hot water, intended to optimize the entire energy consumption. Photovoltaic panels with an installed power of 12 MWp will be installed (sufficient to generate the energy required for approximately 5,000 households), as well as storage systems that will ensure the constant use of green energy. The factory will also have ultra-efficient filters, its own water purification station and electrical equipment without polluting emissions, completely eliminating sources of environmental contamination.
„Equipped with state-of-the-art technology, the factory will enable real-time monitoring of processes, strict quality control, and efficient use of resources at all stages of production. The workflow will be completely automated, from ingredient dosing and packaging to palletizing, ensuring constant productivity and high safety standards. Even the warehouse will be automated, featuring advanced transportation and automatic inventory systems at the level of the carts, capable of autonomously moving products between storage and delivery areas.”, ," explains the company founder.
The new factory is being built in Ciugud, Alba County, a strategically chosen area due to its proximity to the A10 Sebeș–Turda highway, the existing infrastructure, and the quick access to the raw material sources. The completion of the investment is estimated for the second half of 2026: „We will start installing the equipment at the beginning of next year, then we will carry out line testing and process calibration to start actual production by the end of next year”, concluded for Forbes Romania, Dr. Ing. Ioan Popa.
In Romania there are over 4.2 million dogs (9th place in Europe) and 4.4 million cats (10th place in Europe). According to the Euromonitor 2024 statistics, the pet food market in Romania has exceeded one billion euros, growing by 9.7% compared to 2023, with a proportion of 63% for dog food and 37% for cats. The available market data indicates that in modern trade, less than 3% of pet food comes from Romania.
Article taken from Forbes magazine.
