Germany's Intersnack makes Chio-Chips next to helicopters, in Ghimbav

Intersnack German company is the latest producer lured in Ghimbav, Brasov county, a city that has developed so far particularly owing to investments in the production of helicopters on the IAR site and of car subassemblies.

"Intersnack has invested over 7m euros in the new production unit of Ghimbav, where we moved the plant located on the former Tractorul Brasov site that had an uncertain future as it was in a rented space," stated Cristian Rey, general manager of Intersnack Romania.

This is the only major investment project finalised in the past year on the Romanian salted snacks market, put at more than 200m euros, where US giant PepsiCo, owner of Star Foods, also operates.

Intersnack generated turnover worth around 39m euros in 2008 and started production in Romania in 2003, in Brasov.

Chips consumption fell last year, after its growth pace dropped below 10% in 2008.

Rey said Chio chips registered falling sales from 2008 in 2009 on the consumption decline, but underscored the decision to take investment plans further was prompted by other factors.

"Intersnack's commitment on the Romanian market is a long-term one. Moreover, market size, the organisation's development on the Romanian market, as well as the solid foothold we have on the market were important. The excellent collaboration with Romanian farmers (the potatoes we use to make chips are entirely acquired from Romania) was a decisive argument," stated the manager.

The German company now has 140 employees in Ghimbav, with most of them having been moved from Brasov. The plot of land of the new plant was bought from Romanian Raptronic firm, a provider of food industry production equipment.

Intersnack started chips production in Romania in 2003, with the former facility in Brasov employing 200 people at that time. At the moment the first domestic plant was opened, the company's representatives announced the finalisation of a 1m-euro investment in Brasov and plans to increase this sum to 3.5m euros.