Călin Drăgan, Coca-Cola: As with a manual gearbox, I've changed speed in the company

The domestic subsidiary of Coca-Cola giant climbed to the fourth position, in terms of sales, among the 28 countries the Greek group is present in, from the fifth position it held in 2004, the year when Călin Drăgan was appointed to run the bottler's domestic operations. Drăgan explains for Business Magazin the strategy he has bet on during these years to develop the business.
"As with a manual gearbox, I've changed the speed in the company during the term I received in 2004," says Călin Drăgan, general manager of Coca-Cola HBC Romania and Moldova.
The description covers six years of completely different conditions, when the market shifted from a period of frantic consumption to the other extreme, with 2009 as the first year when beverage bottlers saw their turnover slide after almost two decades of ongoing growth.
"I've always believed the growth pace would slow down at a certain moment and depending on this I've made all the decisions related to business coordination and the ones for cost restructuring," adds Drăgan, 44, an engineer by training.
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How a Romanian entrepreneur works: several budget scenarios for 2011, investments on hold and frozen salaries

Mirabela Tiron

Businessman Radu Enache, owner of Continental hotel chain, which operates 14 hotels on the Romanian market, maintains he is drawing up several budget scenarios for next year, which may have to be re-corrected, as market instability is making it hard to set up hypotheses.
"I don't see very pleasant things for 2011, either, considering the country situation hasn't improved. Although for next year we have a downbeat and an upbeat scenario, I believe it is highly likely that we will work with the downbeat scenario, which means our generating this year's figures, namely stagnation," Radu Enache stated.
According to the data provided by the Romanian entrepreneur, in the first eight months of 2010 the hotels he owns posted revenues similar with last year's, although the chain's accommodation capacity rose by 15% as two hotels were opened late last year.
The falling revenues prompted Enache to halt hiring, freeze most salaries and pay part of employees on sole trader contracts. Moreover, all the group's development plans have been put on hold.