Former Basketball Player Produces Sports Equipment For 15 Teams

05.19.2011 ZF English

Mircea Barna, an entrepreneur of Cluj, former captain of the national basketball team, decided almost 15 years ago that giants such as Nike, Adidas, Puma or Lotto can have a domestic rival in the world of sports, and hence he set up Ancada, the brand of the only domestic producer of professional sports equipment in Romania.

This is still a niche business and sales halted at EUR2.5 million last year, half the level of the 2007-2008 period, but the entrepreneur believes in the change of the consumption behavior, dictated during boom years by labels.

"If the French and Germans can drive Logans, this means I can also use something Romanian as a Romanian. This is how I think now, and consumers are much more educated," says Barna, whose business now comprises three production centers and 60 employees.

Ancada now has three plants in Cluj for sports equipment and the footwear is largely manufactured in Asia.

The group makes balls, T-shirts, training suits and everything a sports competition requires. It aims to keep product prices at no more than EUR40 for average clients and charges more for the sports equipment sold to the 15 handball, basketball and volleyball teams playing in the national championships.

Barna will not give up doing business too soon despite the many suitors. The argument is that in the following years "made in Romania" will become a very powerful brand, which is also why the turnover in 2011 should be three times higher than in 2010.