Belgian opens chocolate factory in Romanian village
Marie Carels, a piano teacher in Belgium, opened the factory with an investment of EUR 150,000 after moving to the Romanian village 40 kilometers away from Targu Jiu city, according to Mediafax newswire. Carels and her husband Boris Weyssow, a physics teacher at universities in Germany, Romania and Belgium, bought land in the village and built their house.
Marie hired five locals and taught them the craft of chocolate making. She learned Romanian and for a year had to struggle to get permits for the factory.
The investor also opened a store in Targu Jiu to sell the locally made chocolate and plans to open another factory for jam and canned fruits. Marie says that in Romania, she can produce the chocolate at lower prices than in Belgium. One kilo of chocolate costs RON 100.
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