German Paint Maker Meffert Returns To Romania

04.14.2011 By Andrei Circhelan

German paint and varnishes maker Meffert on Thursday said it has returned to the Romanian market after a five-year absence, with plans to expand its operations through acquisitions, partnerships with local producers and investment in its own units.

German paint and varnishes maker Meffert on Thursday said it has returned to the Romanian market after a five-year absence, with plans to expand its operations through acquisitions, partnerships with local producers and investment in its own units.

"We will make an acquisition or we will invest in a new unit. Works in Romania are changing, and we will probably have a clear answer within one year," said Liviu Stan, associate within Dufa Tec.

Dufa Tec was founded last year as a partnership between Meffert, which controls 40% and local businessmen Liviu Stan and Irinel Gheorghe, who control 30% stakes each.

Dufa Tec posted sales of some EUR0.5 million in the last part of 2010 and expects sales to reach EUR3.5 million this year.

The Meffert group, a family business, holds 11 factories world wide, including six in Germany, and it exports to 60 countries.

Back in 1998, Meffert and two Romanian investors founded Dufa Romania, which was sold to private equity firm Advent International in 2005 for some EUR20 million. After the deal, Advent had rights to use the Dufa brand for five years, until the summer of 2010. However, the company went through a rebranding process earlier, and was renamed Deutek in 2008.