Perla Covasnei invests EUR 5 million in new bottling factory

Newsroom 24/01/2011 | 11:34

Bottling company Perla Covasnei has announced an investment of more than EUR 5 million in a greenfield facility in Catalina, Covasna county. In addition to this amount, EUR 2 million will be invested in promoting the Perla Covasnei mineral water brand and developing a national distribution network by the end of the year.

The factory in Catalina has a total production area of 2,400 sqm, produces about 100,000 mineral water bottles each day and employs 11 people. Perla Covasnei is controlled by the Azuga Waters group owned by Valerii and Violeta Moraru who are also former stakeholders in the Bere Azuga factory.

The Moraru family has also announced plans to repurchase the assets of the former beer factory from Ursus Breweries, a company to which it sold Bere Azuga back in 2009. The company intends to further expand the mineral water business it already owns in these facilities. Azuga Waters is also bottling water under private label for Kaufland and is currently under negotiations with Lidl, said Adriana Nicolae, managing director of Azuga Waters.

Last year Perla Covasnei has reported a RON 14 million turnover, about 30 percent more against the previous year. Overall, Azuga Waters has registered sales worth over EUR 5 million. The company estimates that by the end of the year, Perla Covasnei will generate up to 60 percent of its sales.

Other brands in the Azuga Waters portfolio are Azuga Apa de Izvor and Covasna Taramul Apelor.