Bilka in the Top Forbes 500 Companies

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.