Romania: Cheese Producer Hochland’s Revenue Up 18% in 2018
Hochland Romania, the largest actor on the local cheese market ended 2018 with almost 400 million lei (some EUR87 million) revenue, up 18% on the previous year, the company said.
“It was a very good year for Hochland, with significant growth in the categories we are present on, with new products, with new brand communication,” Erik Hageleit, general manager of Hochland Romania, told ZF.
On a competitive market, Hochland managed to grow more than its main competitors and consolidate its cheese market leader position. Hochland arrived in Romania in 1993 and its products were at first distributed by Whiteland. Five years later it decided to go for a direct presence and established Hochland Romania after buying the plant in Sighisoara, where it started to make processed cheese. In 1999, Hochland bought the plant in Sovata, where it makes Romanian yellow cheese, as well as raw material for the processed cheese facility in Sighisoara. In 2016 it took over distribution of its products from Whiteland.
Investments in the two Hochland plants in Romania are put at more than RON24 million in 2018-2019. The company will open a new warehouse in Sovata in the first half of the year. The manager is optimistic about the performance of Hochland this year.
“We have bold plans to preserve the upward trend, so we are preparing for several important launches and plan to continue supporting the existing portfolio in 2019, as well.”
