Romanian Astra Vagoane Calatori to export wagons to Brazil for EUR 100 mln

Romanian rolling stock producer Astra Vagoane Calatori, owned by Romanian businessman Valer Blidar, will export around 100 railway wagons to the Brazilian company Vale di Rio Doce. The company won the over EUR 100 million contract after participating in an international tender. Astra Vagoane previously won similar tenders for the Czech Republic and Italy. Romanian lender EximBank recently announced that it has granted Astra Vagoane Calatori a bank guarantee letter with a value of over EUR 31 million, which allowed the Romanian company to participate in the bid for the Brazilian export contract. Astra Vagoane Calatori is a rolling stock manufacturer. Romanian businessman Valer Blidar is its main shareholder, and the company provides wagons for state-owned railway company CFR Calatori. In 2010, Astra Vagoane Calatori posted a turnover of about EUR 45 million (RON 189 million), and a profit of EUR 13 million (RON 55 million). Irina Popescu, irina.popescu@romania-insider.com