Chr. Hansen opens new company in Romania

Since 1996 Chr. Hansen has been serving its Romanian customers through local partners. Now the Danish ingredient supplier has established its own legal entity in the country with 22 million inhabitants.

12/11/08 Chr. Hansen has established its own legal entity in Romania as of November 1, 2008. The new company is part of an aggressive strategy for sales growth in the region.

Since 1996 Chr. Hansen has been serving its Romanian customers through local partners. Now the Danish ingredient supplier has established its own legal entity in the country with 22 million inhabitants.

“We are investing in order to achieve even higher growth in the region. We want to be close to our customers so we can use our global experiences to meet local needs using local people,” says Jacob Vishof Paulsen, Area Country Manager, Central East Europe.

The Romanian market for natural ingredients is growing as the producers are facing stricter quality demands following the country’s entry into the European Union in 2007.

“The new company will improve Chr. Hansen’s ability to support new and existing customers with high-quality and local solutions,” Vishof Paulsen adds. “Moreover the investment is a proof of our continued commitment towards the food industry in Eastern Europe. Since Romania became an EU member last year we have seen a tremendous development of the food market. We see the Romanian market as a key market for growth, and this decision is an important part of Chr. Hansen’s focus on aggressive growth targets,” Vishof Paulsen concludes.

“The dairy industry in Romania shows annual growth rates of 15-20% and the market is far from mature. Many foreign companies have invested in Romania and they have a significant impact, setting new standards for product quality, innovation and product development. We have interaction with most customers already, but I am happy that we are now taking full ownership of the customer interaction to secure the best service possible,” says Daniela Paraschiv, General Manager of Chr. Hansen SRL, Chr. Hansen’s Romanian subsidiary.

The official opening event for Chr. Hansen SRL will take place on November 27, 2008 in Brasov, Romania.