The Steel Industry and the Mobile Phone Operators Fared Best in 2004

The National Council of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises presented its 2004 awards to the most profitable companies operating in Romania.

Ispat Sidex steel-mill of Galati, Orange Romania and Mobi Fon mobile phone operators were the most profitable big-sized companies in 2004. One year before, the first three companies in the Council’s ranking were Luxten Lighting Company, in Timisoara; Alcatel Network Systems Romania, in Timisoara, and Spedition UMB, in Podu Turcului - Bacau County.
The three best placed big-sized companies in 2004 reported profits of 13,745.8 billion lei s393 million eurost; 9,748 billion lei s278 million eurost and 8,150 billion lei s233 million eurost, respectively.

In the medium-sized category, the first three companies were BCR Leasing, in Bucharest, with gross revenues of 211.2 billion lei s6 million eurost. Second came Datatim, in Timisoara, with 201.4 billion lei s5.75 million eurost, and third came Hungastro Company of Sfantu Gheorghe, which lost one slot in the ranking from a year before, at 178.5 billion lei s5.1 million eurost.

In the small-sized category, the companies ranking first were Fortum Engineering Romania, in Bucharest, with gross revenue of 187.2 billion lei s5.3 million eurost; Metal Galati, with gross revenue of 182.9 billion lei s5.2 million eurost and Winmarkt Bucharest, which holds its position from a year before, with gross revenue of 157.4 billion lei s4.49 million eurost.
Vest Trade & Consulting, in Bucharest, came first in the ranking of micro-companies, with a gross revenue of 235 billion lei s6.7 million eurost, followed by two other companies in Bucharest: TFM and Francredit, with gross revenues of 234.2 billion lei s6.69 million eurost and 204.9 billion lei s5.85 eurost, respectively.

The criteria for ranking companies took into account their gross revenues, their number of employees and their turn-over. To enter the ranking companies had to owe state coffers less than 10% of their turn-over.

Other special awards were granted for investments upgrading equipment to EU standards in the spirits industry, to Prodal 94 Company, and for the best services company equipped with a lab, to Nitech Company.
"Small and medium-sized companies make 85% of the private sector in Romania. This ranking shows their level of performance in 2004", said Ovidiu Nicolescu, president of the Council.