Germans at Aton Transilvania to buy thousands of hectares in Timis

Aton Transilvania, the local subsidiary of German group Aton, with 1.8 billion euros in turnover, intends to invest several million euros in farming land and to tap into the flour market this year by reopening the Carani Mill in Timis county, which it acquired four years ago from businessman Nicolae Mann and from Heyl group.
"Half of the group's turnover was generated last year by the agricultural business. We have 15,000 hectares of arable land leased and 5,000 hectares that we own, with most plots located in Timis county. Our storage capacity is 150,000 tonnes," said Paul Milata, CEO of Aton Transilvania, a group that posted 40 million euros in turnover on the Romanian market in 2008, according to company representatives, with half the amount being generated by the agricultural business.
The company, which had its first press event since it acquired Timisoara-based Vital & Heyl in 2006, says it has so far invested 250 million euros in Romania.
Representatives of Aton Transilvania did not reveal the 2009 turnover, but said results were at least 10% lower compared with 2008.