UPRUC CTR saw a 27% increase in turnover to EUR 11.7 million in 2022

UPRUC-CTR, the manufacturer of butt welding fittings and steel pressure vessels from Fagaras, announces a 27% increase in turnover to 11.7 million euros (58 million lei) in 2022.

The UPRUC company entered a new stage by recruiting a new CEO into the team. Cristian Caruceriu, CEO of UPRUC-CTR, a manager with over 15 years of experience in multinational companies, positively influenced the output increase. The result is outstanding despite challenges with raw materials’ availability and global macro problems in the metal market.

“We increased production despite the challenges of large producers in the labor market because of the involvement of the top management and the team’s specialists. The lack of jobs is still those of the operators, schippers, welders, and press operators. I am glad that by initiating the UPRUC-CTR School project, we are developing a work culture around these jobs”, said Horia Alexander Enciu, president of the Board of Directors at UPRUC-CTR SA.

The UPRUC-CTR company has two production divisions: butt welding fittings and pressure vessels made of carbon, alloy, and stainless steel.

Read more about

HiSky can now begin the operation of regular flights to Canada

read more

The end of 2022 brought more orders. New energy investments in 2023

“I anticipate that in 2023 we will see new large investments in the areas where steel fittings are used: refineries, the petrochemical industry, thermal power plants, and gas compression stations. Our optimism comes after more investments were on hold in 2021. End customers watched prices rise and waited for the market to calm down. Then the invasion from Ukraine began, and the market was focused on the buy-quick principle because you never know! The end of 2022, however, brought more orders not induced by any fear,” says Horia Alexander Enciu.

UPRUC-CTR SA has Germany as its primary export market. The company evaluates that the demand for fittings and pressure vessels will increase in 2023 in the current international geopolitical context and due to energy investments.

The year 2021 was a complex one for the company from Fagaras, Brasov county, due to the increase in energy costs. Thus, the economy recorded a series of natural gas and electricity price increases between June 2021 and December 2021. “The price of gas increased three times and of electricity four times. The manufacturing cycle typically closes in 4-8 weeks, and therefore, manufacturing companies have incurred higher energy and raw material costs simultaneously.”

The year 2022 was marked by the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which turned many international markets upside down, including the global metal market. Thus, the production volume evolved very well in the first half of last year, but starting from June, a decrease in orders was observed, a trend that was felt in production starting from August.

“Then, until December, our production was below the budget, but the plus in the first seven months was enough for a good result in 2022. The pressure vessels division had a considerable contribution to the good evolution of last year and confirmed the expected progress of the investments of the last two years. As the orders received were at a very good level in November and December, we are convinced that 2023 will be a good year”, adds Horia Alexander Enciu, president of the UPRUC-CTR board.

New challenges in global markets and the demand for professionalization in production

The main challenges in 2022 were raw materials’ availability and delivery deadlines. The raw materials for fittings are seamless pipes; for pressure vessels, the raw materials are pipes, sheets and flanges, so metallurgical products. The steel pipes are bought mainly from local manufacturers and suppliers, and here, UPRUC-CTR faced various distortions caused by emotion-driven reactions.

Also, a constant challenge is the availability of qualified personnel. In this context, the company initiated the “UPRUC-CTR School” project in 2022, through which specialists teach and consolidate specific knowledge for the development of trades such as the operators , welders, and press operators.

The certifications currently held by UPRUC-CTR and the quality of the products allow the company from Fagaras to deliver for industries with high safety and specialization requirements. The peculiarity of the company UPRUC-CTR is that it offers 80% of the production of fittings in the EU to customers who are stockists or traders. The fittings produced in Făgăraș end up in oil and gas extraction installations, oil and gas transport and processing, power plants, and petrochemicals globally.

UPRUC-CTR delivers 50% of its pressure vessel division products to Romania and 50% to other EU countries. The products are used by companies that integrate the components into their assembly, as well as Romanian pipeline and installation builders. Also, these products are part of oil and gas, chemical and energy installations.

The UPRUC-CTR company started the procedures for authorization as a supplier for nuclear power plants, as there is a major interest in investments in this area, both in Western Europe and at the local level.