JLL: Romania remains attractive for investors, especially in agriculture

Romania is still attractive for investors, at least from the agricultural point of view. Although Nokia has announced its exit from the Romanian market, other multinational companies have opened and will open new production units and facilities in Romania, according to Jones Lang LaSalle. The American lawn maintenance equipment and irrigation systems producer The Toro Company has recently opened its EUR 20 million factory in Romania, where it will manufacture systems for micro-irrigations. The factory, located near Ploiesti, will supply products for the European, Middle East and African (EMEA) market. The 12,900 sqm factory will initially have 35 employees and by 2013, it will reach 100. "The new investments in the production sector, that aim to be near Bucharest, will be placed in satellite cities such as Ploiesti and Pitesti, due to lower labor costs, to the completion of significant infrastructure changes, and to the strategic role of Romania within the European logistics circuit. Ploiesti is targeted also by American suppliers to the oil industry (such as Lufkin Industries, Cameron) and to the automotive sector, that continue to invest in building their own production facilities", says Irina Iliescu, Senior Consultant within the Industrial & Logistics department of Jones Lang LaSalle. Jones Lang LaSalle and King Sturge merged their operations in May this year. The merged business operates in 30 countries, employing 5,300 people. Irina Popescu, irina.popescu@romania-insider.com (photo source: Sxc.hu)