Mircea Barna, an entrepreneur ofCluj, former captain of the national basketball team, decidedalmost 15 years ago that giants such as Nike, Adidas, Puma or Lottocan have a domestic rival in the world of sports, and hence he setup Ancada, the brand of the only domestic producer of professionalsports equipment in Romania.
This is still a niche business andsales halted at EUR2.5 million last year, half the level of the2007-2008 period, but the entrepreneur believes in the change ofthe consumption behavior, dictated during boom years bylabels.
"If the French and Germans candrive Logans, this means I can also use something Romanian as aRomanian. This is how I think now, and consumers are much moreeducated," says Barna, whose business now comprises threeproduction centers and 60 employees.
Ancada now has three plants inCluj for sports equipment and the footwear is largely manufacturedin Asia.
The group makes balls, T-shirts,training suits and everything a sports competition requires. Itaims to keep product prices at no more than EUR40 for averageclients and charges more for the sports equipment sold to the 15handball, basketball and volleyball teams playing in the nationalchampionships.
Barna will not give up doingbusiness too soon despite the many suitors. The argument is that inthe following years "made in Romania" will become a very powerfulbrand, which is also why the turnover in 2011 should be three timeshigher than in 2010.
