Apemin Tușnad estimates business of over 85.7 million RON in 2023, a 7% increase compared to the previous year, and plans investments of over 46 million RON over the next three years
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Posted On July 26, 2023
Apemin Tușnad, one of the most important companies in the natural mineral water category, bottling the brands Tușnad, Artesia, and Izvorul Ascuns, estimates that its turnover will exceed 85.7 million RON in 2023, 7% higher than the value recorded in 2022. The growth is supported by investments made in the last three years, amounting to nearly 35 million RON, of which approximately 75% were directed towards improving the performance of technological equipment. In the first half of this year, sales volume increased by 10.6% compared to the previous year.
“Our main concern remains the sustainable use of natural mineral water resources and the conservation of the Tușnad natural hydrological area. Therefore, we prioritize the optimization of existing bottling processes and invest in a new line with high-performance technology. In fact, constant investments in digitization and the streamlining of the company’s operational processes significantly contribute to our ability to continue offering consumers the highest quality natural mineral water,” said Gyarfas Kurko, Chairman of the Board of Apemin Tușnad.
The company has managed to maintain a positive performance trend over the past three years, surpassing the difficulties faced by the industry, generated by rising operational costs and market fragmentation, supported by the expansion of private labels and declining purchasing power. Efforts to maintain water quality, continuous operational process optimization, and a focus on the highest production technologies have kept the company’s business growing steadily, with an average annual turnover increase of 8% over the past three years.
Apemin Tușnad is currently carrying out investment projects worth 6 million RON in technical equipment, access infrastructure, and IT systems. For the next two years, the company is preparing a comprehensive investment strategy, budgeting around 40 million RON for expanding the finished product warehouse and a new, state-of-the-art bottling line.
“Next year, we will have a storage area of approximately 8,000 square meters in Tușnad, almost four times larger than five years ago, with a capacity of 8,000 pallets for finished products, and we estimate that we will continue to expand. Since 2018, production has increased by 30% due to the intensification of demand for our products and the complexity of the company’s portfolio. The key factor is the advanced bottling technology, which allows us to maintain water quality from the moment of capture to the store shelves, despite challenges in the logistics chain and rising operational costs in the industry,” added Magyari Ors, CEO of Apemin Tușnad.
The production facility in Tușnad currently has two PET bottling lines with a total capacity of 30,000 bottles per hour and over 5,000 square meters of storage space. By the end of 2023, the company aims to bottle 114,000,000 liters of water, covering 5% of the national consumption needs.
The study on consumer preferences for bottled water, commissioned by the company and conducted by the strategic research agency MKOR, shows that Tușnad natural mineral water has the highest recommendation score from consumers, being appreciated both for its taste and its high mineral content (1390 mg/l dry residue at 180 degrees Celsius), which ensures proper hydration of the body and contributes to maintaining health and well-being, especially during exertion.
According to company officials, the biggest challenges for the business remain access to qualified human resources and consumer education regarding the choice of the right water for various consumption occasions.
The natural mineral water bottling factory in Tușnad was built in 1973, in the village of Tușnadu Nou, and the production activity started a year later. Tușnad natural mineral water is captured from a natural, volcanic area in the Lower Ciuc Basin, rich in essential minerals for the health and well-being of the body. The mineral salts found in Tușnad natural mineral water are calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, and bicarbonates – essential for proper hydration of the body.
