BILKA ranks 22nd in the Top 500 Companies in Romania, a ranking compiled by Forbes Romania.

The Story Continues

Bilka Steel, founded by Horațiu Țepeș, continues to grow, recording a 70% increase in 2023, with a strong focus on international expansion. Exports reached 40 million euros, and future plans include new factories and a global turnover in the billions.

After the double-digit growth recorded during the pandemic, when people directed more funds toward home renovations and improvements, particularly in 2020, the metal roof tile manufacturer experienced steady growth in 2023, with a 7% increase in value and a 28% increase in volume, in a context of stabilized inflation. The company’s priority was to strengthen its market share while maintaining a profit margin of 10%.
Founded 17 years ago by an entrepreneur from Făgăraș, the business has grown spectacularly over the last 10 years, increasing almost twelvefold from 104.8 million lei in 2013 to 1.23 billion lei in 2023.
Today, one in four roofs in Romania is made with BILKA products, while the company has become the most important local supplier and one of the largest players in the region.
With the domestic market offering limited room for further expansion, the company’s growth plans are now focused mainly on exports. “There are virtually no limits when it comes to exports. Growth there depends only on us, and in 2023 things moved faster. Last year we increased exports to 40 million euros, up from 30 million euros in 2022,” said Horațiu Țepeș, founder and CEO of BILKA, in an interview with Forbes Romania.

BILKA’s strategy for expanding into foreign markets includes ambitious plans to open factories in economically strategic regions or to acquire existing production assets. Last year, the company entered negotiations to purchase four production facilities from an international group, but discussions did not result in an agreement due to differences in price valuation.
The company’s approach abroad is calculated, with the aim of opening factories in regional countries where it makes economic sense or acquiring assets. In 2023, he came close to finalizing such a deal.

“We were in talks to buy four production facilities from an international group in several countries, but in the end the seller’s expectations did not match ours. The asking price was too high. What matters is that we gained experience,” explained Horațiu Țepeș. The investor is particularly interested in markets such as Slovakia, where he has repeatedly stated he would like to build BILKA’s first factory abroad. Hungary, on the other hand, “would be too great an effort” because of what he sees as a potentially complicated relationship with the authorities.

Although no foreign factories have been built yet and no final agreements have been reached to acquire production facilities, BILKA is making steady progress towards the international market. The company, headquartered in Brașov County, currently has offices in Bulgaria, where the team has grown, and one representative each in Slovakia and Poland.

Horațiu Țepeș has big ambitions and aims to reach 100 million euros in export revenues within the next three to four years, even without opening factories abroad. His long-term goal is to turn BILKA into a global conglomerate with annual revenues of six to seven billion euros.

On the domestic market, he still sees opportunities for growth and consolidation. In 2017, BILKA purchased the 14-hectare Hidromecanica 2 platform in Brașov and began investing in production and logistics. The initial production investment was estimated at 20 million euros with a three-year timeline, but the total eventually reached 35 million euros. According to statements made by the founder in February 2024, the final stage is scheduled to become operational by the end of 2024.

Looking ahead, the entrepreneur is optimistic about the stability of the Romanian market, from raw material supply to inflation control. “Romania is on a promising path, much better than I saw it five to seven years ago. There has been significant progress compared to recent years, although there are still aspects that need improvement”.
Horațiu Țepeș believes that Romania is at the best moment in its history and predicts that, after a period of stagnation and uncertainty, the economy will enter a new cycle of growth, potentially even stronger than the previous one.
Starting from a small 4,500-square-metre facility, the business has grown year after year, following investments totaling around 70 million euros. Today, its production and storage facilities cover 140,000 square meters.

A graduate in managerial and technological engineering from Sibiu, Horațiu Țepeș began his career at the age of 25 with a Slovak company operating in Romania. He then opened his first roof distribution company, and at 27 moved to Brașov to establish Bilka Steel, which is now the largest manufacturer of complete roofing systems in Eastern Europe.

Entry published in the Forbes 500 yearbook by Forbes Romania.

Zoltan Toth’s career at Bilka began nine years ago, at a time when the company was in the middle of a strong growth phase His first steps in the roofing industry, however, date back to 2009, when he joined a Bilka partner company, working first as a delivery driver, then as a sales agent, and later as general manager.

He progressed steadily, and since 2015 he has been managing the Cluj branch, where he built the team, the office, and the growth strategy from the ground up. He currently leads a team of 50 employees and has numerous expansion plans.

“I believe that success and the achievement of truly great things in one’s career come when we manage to integrate all the key parts of life: work, family, community, and personal development. The traditional approach of drawing a strict line between personal and professional life is no longer relevant. I think it’s time to stop trying to set clear boundaries, because it has been proven that such attempts fail. My own experience, as well as that of others, has shown me that we should cultivate a life where these elements coexist in harmony. Because my job is such an integral part of who I am and holds such an important place in my life, I never completely detach from it—just as I never do when it comes to my family or other aspects of my life. The key is integrating them.”

• Turnover (2023): €248 million
• Net profit (2023): €24 million
• Number of employees: 700

Article published in the “Top 100 Young Managers” catalogue by Business Magazine, July 2024.

The Corona Brașov hockey team is just one win away from lifting the Erste Liga trophy.

Corona Brașov is facing Hungary’s FTC–Telekom in the battle for the title. Tonight’s game could secure the cup for Brașov, and Bilka is standing by the team, just as it has throughout the season.

After winning the first 3 matches convincingly, Corona is now only one victory away from making history. The Brașov side can claim the trophy with a win in Game 4 of the finals, taking place on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. at the Olympic Ice Rink in Brașov.

BILKA, the Brașov-based company and one of the team’s sponsors this season, has decided to boost its budget for supporting the team by 550,000 lei. This amount will be awarded as a victory bonus to the players if they defeat FTC–Telekom and bring the Erste Liga trophy to Brașov.

“After the team brought the Romanian Cup to Brașov last month, we want this year to mark another first in the team’s history by also winning the Erste Liga trophy. Corona Brașov is in the Erste Liga final for the third time, but has yet to win it. We have a very well-prepared team, and all the conditions are in place to secure the trophy. We have been supporting the team since the start of the season, but as the season draws to a close, we wanted to add an extra boost of financial motivation, which is why we decided to offer each player a victory bonus. The total bonus budget we are providing amounts to 550,000 lei, bringing our total sponsorship budget for the entire season to 800,000 lei,” said Gabriela Stoițer, BILKA’s Marketing Director.

“The support from Bilka shows not only a passion for sports but also a commitment to the community.  Backing high-performance sports by major companies is essential to achieving valuable results, and these achievements in Brașov’s sports scene directly strengthen the sense of belonging to a healthy and strong local community. We thank Bilka and promise to stay on the path of top-level performance and continue bringing outstanding results to Brașov” – Ionuț Necula, Director of Corona Brașov.

The Erste Liga is a competition featuring hockey teams from Hungary and Romania. This season’s line-up includes FTC–Telekom, Budapest Akademia, UTE, DVTK, DEAC, Dunaújvárosi Acélbikák, and Feha 19 from Hungary, along with Romania’s top teams Corona Brașov, ACSH Gheorgheni, and SC Miercurea Ciuc.

BILKA, leader of the roofing market and the largest consumer of pre-painted steel in Romania, ended the year 2023 with a turnover of 248 million euros. Over its 17 years of activity, the company has invested more than 80 million euros in its Brașov factory. The production lines are fully automated, relying on the latest technologies available worldwide.

In 2023, BILKA sold its products all over the country and abroad via more than 500 stable dealers. BILKA products are exported in several countries, among which Bulgaria, Hungary, the Republic of Moldova, Germany, Poland, Slovakia, The Netherlands, Austria, Ireland or Ukraine.

File 23 for 2023. What’s Next for Business and Society in Romania?

“In five years, we plan to have, at least in its early stages, a factory abroad, most likely in Slovakia, and probably a small site in Hungary. Last year, we exported goods worth around 30 million euros. It may sound like a lot, but compared to our overall turnover, it is not that significant,” says Horațiu Țepeș from his office in Brașov.

His vision of building factories through greenfield investments in foreign markets is shaped by how the construction materials market works within the European Union, where business logic pushes you to produce as close as possible to your end markets in order to be more efficient and profitable.

“We became market leader in Romania in 2012, just five years after starting out. Back then, the competition was weak, and I could even say complacent, and the challenge for us was to consolidate our position. There are groups that have reached a turnover of 6–7 billion euros with 50–60 factories. Why couldn’t we do the same? What motivates me even more is the fact that Romanians still haven’t done this (expansion abroad, editor’s note). We have some very good, healthy Romanian companies, but they have not taken that step”.

Horațiu Țepeș expects the first foreign factory to be the hardest to set up, but believes that afterwards it will be much easier to access other EU markets. He also knows the European market cannot be approached with a one-size-fits-all product range, as needs differ from country to country.

“Our aim is to meet domestic demand, invest in complementary products, and then replicate abroad what we have built here. Obviously, in markets where producing metal roof tiles is not feasible, we will focus on insulated panels. In Northern Europe, for example, we would go with metal roof tiles, as ceramic or concrete tiles would not work there. We know exactly what we have to do!”

Part of BILKA’s strategic growth and product diversification is the new insulated panel factory the company has been building for several years, whose commissioning has already been delayed. The factory should reach normal production capacity next year and will be a mature investment within three years.

“The original plan for the new factory was a 20 million euro investment, but in the end we will reach 35 million euros. Equipment, construction materials, and labour have all become more expensive, and we have renegotiated contracts and accepted new terms countless times. We obtained separate building permits for different sections of the factory to avoid bottlenecks, and there were many critical points along the way”.

Bilka’s complete development vision for the domestic market covers four product segments, ranging from the residential sector to the industrial segment with turnkey halls, as well as a drywall profiles division and a garage door division. So far, the company’s investments total 70 million euros, and in the coming years that figure could rise sharply.

“At today’s values, we will probably reach around 170-200 million euros in investments by then, but the size of the market will also play a role. At the moment, we see enough potential to dedicate 6.5 hectares of production halls exclusively to insulated panels on a 12-hectare site. If the market grows significantly, there will be major opportunities both to the north and to the south, and we will certainly have to relocate and adapt to the times. So, our plans for Romania over the next 10 years remain firmly focused on investment”.

The Next 30 Years

“Nothing happened by chance. It may seem that way, but it absolutely was not. Investments have always been part of our plan, and we already know what we will do over the next 30 years. It is true that the time frame for investments can have a margin of +/- 3 years, as was the case with the new factory. We could not have known that environmental requirements, bureaucracy, or equipment deliveries would delay us. But we knew 10 years ago what we were going to do, and we still know what we will do in the next 30 years”.

Looking back at what he might have done differently over the past decade, Horațiu Țepeș says he would have implemented some of his current development plans earlier, such as the insulated panel factory or international production. However, the strategy and direction remain the same, aligned with the strategic development plan.

At the moment, he has no plans to move the company headquarters from Brașov to Bucharest, as he does not see enough advantages in such a move. He does not rule out, however, the possibility of part of the company’s management being based in Western Europe. “In the next 15 years, it is possible that a significant part of our management team will be based somewhere in central Europe. It will depend on what we do in Germany and on how things stand at that time. We would definitely not move to Warsaw, but when the time is right, we would not rule out Germany. Our challenge is to be in the top three, if not the market leader, in the European Union.

One of the initiatives that helped turn BILKA into a market leader came from the area of brand awareness, where the company has invested heavily over the past decade to achieve real results. “We started making substantial brand investments seven or eight years ago, yet the statistics have shown us as the number one roofing brand for only the last two or three years. These things take time. Sales and turnover can grow quickly in the right circumstances, but brand strength and awareness take longer to build. Our focus was to make BILKA the first choice in people’s minds when they think of a roof, but that position was earned over many years through a long-term strategy”.

But beyond the immediate economic context, the entrepreneur looks at the business, the economy, and the country with a long-term perspective. At heart, he says he has no intention of ever leaving the business and still sees himself coming to the office even at the age of 80. The company can function without him, but Horațiu Țepeș considers himself one of the driving forces behind BILKA’s expansion. “I will certainly never step away from operations, and I have no plans to take a break or retire in any way, even when I reach that age. I can see myself still coming to the office at 80, and I cannot imagine a life without work”.

One of the long-term challenges he foresees comes from the available workforce in relation to the size of the population, and the effects of the demographic problem on the labor market could be partially eased by bringing in more workers from outside the EU.

“In my view, the solution lies first in encouraging higher birth rates, but also in bringing in labor from abroad. There is also a need for unskilled workers, and the legislation in this area should be eased, with incentives introduced. In our company, we have 100 Asian employees. We brought in this additional workforce for production, and they are good people. (…) It is an entirely positive thing, and I believe we should set aside issues of race, ethnicity, or any other such matters and focus on bringing in labor from abroad”.

Însă dincolo de contextul economic imediat, antreprenorul se uită la business, la economie și la țară pe termen lung. În fond, afirmă că nu vrea să se retragă niciodată din business și se vede venind la birou chiar și la 80 de ani. Compania poate funcționa și fără el, însă Horațiu Țepeș se consideră unul dintre motoarele principale ale expansiunii Bilka. „Cu siguranță nu mă voi retrage niciodată din operațional și nu am de gând să intru în vreo vacanță sau să mă pensionez în vreun fel, nici la vârsta la care va fi cazul. Mă văd și la 80 de ani venind la birou, nu am vreun gând că pot trăi fără muncă.”

Una dintre problemele pe care le vede pe termen lung vine dinspre forța de muncă disponibilă, raportată la dimensiunea populației, iar efectele problemei demografice în piața muncii ar putea fi atenuată parțial printr-un import mai hotărât de muncitori din zone non-UE.

„Eu rezolvarea o văd în primul rând în încurajarea natalității, dar și importul de forță de muncă din afară. Este nevoie și de muncitori necalificați și ar trebui aici înlesnită legislația, ar trebui venit cu facilități. Noi, în companie, avem 100 de asiatici, am venit cu această forță complementară pentru producție și sunt oameni buni. (…) E un lucru absolut benefic și cred că trebuie să lăsăm deoparte problemele de rasă, de etnie, sau mai știu eu ce alte teme și să importăm forță de muncă din afară”.

Article published on forbes.ro, 27 February 2023, by Ionuț Bonoiu

In 2021, BILKA, the leader of the roofing market, exceeded the threshold of RON 1.1 billion (EUR 225 million) in turnover, after a 40% increase compared to the previous year, when it recorded RON 795 million in business.

“BILKA ended 2021 with a turnover of RON 1.1 billion, up 40% compared to the previous year and above the target set at the beginning of 2021. Last year was by far one of the most successful years for BILKA, but also one of the most challenging. The changes brought about by the crisis triggered by the pandemic, both in the economy and in society, were reflected throughout the year in our day-to-day operations. The investments postponed by consumers in 2020, combined with the fact that after the first year of the pandemic we learned to live in the current context, meant that people resumed their normal course of life and, implicitly, their postponed investments, which led to a significant increase in demand in the roofing market. This growth brought a new challenge for us: managing the issues that arose along the supply chains, compounded by rising raw material prices. Therefore, 2021 was a year in which the focus was more than ever on maximizing everything we had invested during our 15 years of activity, both in terms of business development and know-how. Now, with the year over, the financial results confirm the exceptional effort made by our team over time, not just during the past year,” said Horațiu Țepeș, CEO of BILKA.

For the current year, the company aims for a 20% increase in turnover, a target that will depend on the evolution of the macroeconomic and political climate.

“Our forecasts are positive for 2022, which is why we have budgeted for a 20% increase in turnover. We hope that this year the impact of the pandemic will diminish and we will see a positive effect on the economy. Even so, every industry will face specific challenges, which we are ready to address. For us, more important than this year’s business performance is the outlook we have for the coming years, in the current context of development and investment. It is also important to build on what we have learned over the past two years, namely to remain constantly focused on increasing business flexibility, efficiency, and the degree of digitalization. There have been crisis situations before, and there will certainly be more in the future. It is important that we take valuable lessons from every situation and remember them when the next challenging period arises,” said Horațiu Țepeș, CEO of BILKA.

2022 Brings the Launch of a New Factory

The company will continue its sustained local expansion and investment plan, while at the regional level it is analyzing markets in neighboring countries where its business model could be replicated in the coming years.

BILKA’s investment budget for this year amounts to EUR 10 million, with one of the most important projects being the new factory for insulated panels and industrial profiles, which is to be commissioned in stages by the end of 2022. At present, the manufacturing of industrial products accounts for 20% of the company’s turnover, while the remaining 80% is represented by residential products.

“After four years of investments totaling EUR 30 million, we are pleased to be approaching the commissioning of our factory for insulated panels and industrial profiles. This is a key business area for us and one that will drive exponential growth for the company in the coming years. Our optimism is based on the growing demand for metal roofs in Romania, the expansion of construction in the industrial sector, as well as the potential we have identified in the countries to which we export our products,” added Horațiu Țepeș.

This year, BILKA also plans to invest in expanding production capacity for the roofing division, for products already in its portfolio, while also considering the opportunity to increase its product range.

BILKA Celebrates 15 Years of Activity

BILKA, the leader of the roofing market, was founded in 2007 and this year marks its 15th anniversary. Over these 15 years, BILKA has grown from just 7 employees to over 600 at present and has made investments of more than EUR 60 million. These investments have made Bilka the largest roofing factory in Eastern Europe.

BILKA sells its products nationwide and for export, through a network of over 500 established dealers. BILKA products are exported in several countries, among which Bulgaria, Hungary, the Republic of Moldova, Germany, Poland, Slovakia, The Netherlands, Austria, Ireland or Ukraine.

Gabriela Stoițer, Bilka Marketing Manager, in the “Best 100+ Marketing 2021” listing, a project dedicated to marketing managers.

Biz magazine launched the “Best 100+ Marketing 2021” listing, a six-year project dedicated to marketing managers. The listing presents the people behind the brands, who create the strategies and directions of promotion and who manage the budgets of the most powerful brands present on the Romanian market.

Gabriela Stoițer, Marketing Manager, Bilka Steel

• Studies: Communication and Public Relations
• Year of appointment to current position: 2014
• Year of employment in the company: 2014
• Marketing experience: 7 years
• Previous positions in marketing and/or related fields: Public Relations Executive
• Brands managed in the current position: Bilka
• Website: www.bilka.ro

Listing published by Biz magazine, “Best 100+ Marketing 2021”.

Bilka is among the 100 most loved brands in Brașov, ranking 12th in this edition. At the same time, Bilka has been chosen among the 20 best known industrial brands, as well as in the top “10 employers in Brașov you would like to work for”.

The ranking was conducted by FORWARD BRAȘOV magazine, together with the Brandeberry agency, and it was based on the vote of Brașov residents, who could vote “for a month and a half… on the brands they consider representative for the community.”

“Bilka Steel, a manufacturer of metal tiles, was founded in 2007 by the businessman Horațiu Țepeș. Bilka is now in the process of building a new insulated panels factory, part of a wider investment plan totaling € 25 million. Two years ago, the company acquired the industrial platform Hidromecanica 2 Brașov, next to the halls it already owned, in order to expand. Besides the investments in the production area, the company continues this year as well with the increase the degree of digitization in order to streamline processes. Data from the Ministry of Finance shows that Bilka Steel had a profit of RON 101.8 million in 2020, so the profit margin was 13%. This is the highest profit level ever of the company. Compared to 2019, the profit for last year was 58% higher.”

Top published in the fwdBV magazine listing, “Top 100 most loved brands in Brașov”, no. 44, managing editor, Ovidiu Vrânceanu.

Bilka is in the top 10 of the “100 performing companies”.

The ranking was made by Coface Romania for Biz magazine and “presents not only the champions of Romanian business, but also the leaders who managed to grow even during the pandemics.”

“An atypical year in all respects, which changed the paradigm in personal and professional life for most people, could not remain without impact on the business environment. While for many companies it was a feat in itself to survive during the pandemic, for business champions this period was an opportunity to strengthen and grow their businesses…”

“The top 100 companies managed to achieve a total turnover of EUR 11.4 billion in 2020, EUR 1.2 billion more than in 2019, amid business growth of 31%…. The top 100 companies created 6,396 new jobs last year as labour productivity improved, with turnover up 31% compared to a 10% increase in the number of employees.”

Ranking published in the listing of Biz magazine, “Top 100 performing companies”, no. 359, author of the article, Gabriel Bârligă.

Ziarul Financiar has prepared the Top 25 most valuable Romanian entrepreneurial companies. It is part of the “100 most valuable companies in Romania” listing.

Bilka is part of this year’s ranking, with an increase compared to the previous year.

“The 24 most valuable Romanian entrepreneurial companies were valued at EUR 41.7 billion (RON 205 billion) this year, a record level for the business developed by local businessmen. By comparison, those players who were making their way into the ranking last year (some are still in it in 2021, while others have been replaced by new names) were priced at just EUR 23 billion, almost half the value of this year’s players….”

It will start production in 2022, following an investment of EUR 25 millions

Bilka Steel company started in 2017 a large investment campaign of EUR 25 millions, purchasing the Hidromecanica 2 platform as well. On this platform, an insulated panel factory is to be extended and developed.

Thus, this year, Bilka’s priority is to invest in the inauguration of the new factory, which will start production next year.

In order to continue the works, the company has recently obtained two building permits from Brașov City Hall for the rehabilitation of two of the old halls. One of them has a usable area of 16,458 sqm and the other one of 5,243 sqm.

Investments in digitization as well

After the completion of the new factory, Bilka would start new investment stages to further develop its product range for the industrial sector. “We will also increase our current production capacity for several products as the demand for metal roofing continues to grow. Besides the investments in the production area, we are continuing this year as well with the investments to increase the degree of digitization in order to streamline processes”, mentioned Bilka owner, Horațiu Țepeș.

From a financial point of view, Bilka’s goal for 2021, established at the beginning of the year, is to exceed the turnover threshold of RON 1 billion. The evolution in the first part of the year is optimistic and it gives confidence that the goal will be met and perhaps even exceeded.

15% of the turnover, from exports

Currently, Bilka roofs are exported in Bulgaria, Hungary, the Republic of Moldova, Germany, Poland, Slovakia, The Netherlands, Austria, Ireland and Ukraine. From the RON 795 million turnover last year, about RON 120 million, i.e. 15%, came from exports.

Bilka ended 2020 with a 20% increase in turnover compared to 2019, when its turnover was RON 655 million. The profit reached almost RON 102 million, almost double compared to 2019, and the average number of employees remained at 550, with the plan to reach 600 persons by the end of this year.

Article published on bizbrasov.ro website, author: Ionuț Dincă