Which are the largest companies in southern Romania?

Local car producer Automobile Dacia Pitesti ranked first among largest companies in southern Romania last year, based on turnover, according to financial consultancy platform RisCo.ro. Dacia posted a turnover of EUR 4.2 billion last year, up by EUR 97 million compared to 2013. It also grew its profit by 9.2% to EUR 83.7 million. The Petrotel Lukoil refinery in Ploiesti, part of Russian group Lukoil, ranked second, with a turnover of EUR 1.4 billion, up by EUR 213.6 million. The company’s losses dropped by almost EUR 140 million to over EUR 69 million. In July this year, Romanian prosecutors have decided to seize assets belonging to the Lukoil Europe BV Netherlands and Petrotel Lukoil, of up to EUR 2 billion, in a case of tax evasion and money laundering. Romanian thermal electricity producer Complexul Energetic Oltenia, which is headquartered in Targu Jiu, ranked third. Its turnover reached EUR 563 million in 2014, down by EUR 18.6 million. It recorded EUR 156.2 million losses last year compared to a net profit of EUR 1 million in 2013. The ranking includes several companies which date back to the communist times, as greenfield investments in southern Bucharest have been less frequent compared to other areas in central, western, or northern Romania. editor@romania-insider.com