BVB Arena: Apidava, from a sweet hobby to a EUR 7 million a year international honey business
This article series tells the stories of the 15 finalists selected in the Made in Romania 2023 program. Made in Romania is the flagship program of the Bucharest Stock Exchange dedicated to the development and promotion of the Romanian…
This article series tells the stories of the 15 finalists selected in the Made in Romania 2023 program. Made in Romania is the flagship program of the Bucharest Stock Exchange dedicated to the development and promotion of the Romanian entrepreneurial environment. The program’s goal is to select and promote Romanian companies that have the greatest growth potential and high chances of becoming impactful players in the local and even regional economy. As of 2024, the Made in Romania program has been rebranded BVB Arena.
"My grandfather had 20 beehives, and we, the children, would eat the honeycombs from his apiary in the summer when he would cut a large piece for all the children in the village. It was a highly awaited and enjoyed dessert,” remembers Victor Mateș, the founder and current manager of Apidava, one of the best-known brands in Romania.
Later, the entrepreneur rediscovered the beauty of beekeeping, thanks to a colleague from the school in Blaj, where he worked as a physics teacher for 20 years. Thus, Victor Mateș started taking care of bees again as a hobby in addition to his job as a teacher.
In 1992, he founded the company Apis Prod, which later became Apidava, with only 2 employees and 50 hives for honey production. The entrepreneur started bottling honey in a garage together with another beekeeper and thus the story of today's Apidava business was born.
"Currently, our family business has a turnover of EUR 7 million, with 50 employees, and we are exporting 50% of our production, not only to Europe but also to countries such as Japan, Israel, Canada, the USA, Australia, countries where Romanian honey is appreciated. We have also consolidated our position in the market as the largest honey processor in Romania and, at the same time, one of the largest exporters of Romanian honey," says Victor Mateș, the founder of Apidava.
Company identity
Over time, the vision of the entrepreneur Victor Mateș – to offer Romanians quality beekeeping products and make Romanian products known abroad - became Apidava’s motto and creed. Through intense work and perseverance but also with caution, he slowly developed his business. When he invested in honey processing machinery, the entrepreneur entered into partnerships with other beekeepers he met at exhibitions or trade fairs to ensure that he would have a flow of raw material capable of ensuring the optimal functioning of the business. This is how Apidava expanded step by step.
"Processing honey is not complicated. The honey only needs to be sorted, analyzed, filtered, and mixed/ blended so that you always get similar batches in terms of properties and quality. Then, it is bottled in jars of different weights but also in envelopes and casseroles, to be served with tea, coffee, or simply as a natural sweet", says the entrepreneur.
