Ferrero creates Romanian manufacturing company as it weighs local production

Local company opens route to manufacturing

Italian confectionery group Ferrero has established a company in Romania whose registered activity covers the manufacture of cocoa products, chocolate and sugar confectionery, according to Profit.ro data cited by HotNews and Playtech. The administrative step gives Ferrero a legal structure through which it could develop local production, although it does not establish that a factory is under construction.

Ferrero has not disclosed the possible location of a production site, the size of any investment or which products could be made in Romania. Giuseppe Papa, the group's Managing Director for Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria and Moldova, told Profit.ro that the company was not in a position to comment at this stage and would communicate any future developments when possible. Other group officials involved in the new structure include European administrative executive Ceci Alberto and CFO and executive director Paolo Sgobbo.

Romanian sales approach 2 billion lei

The move comes as Ferrero's Romanian business approaches the 2 billion lei revenue threshold. According to Playtech, the existing sales subsidiary recorded turnover of approximately 1.9 billion lei in the latest reported year, 23% higher than in 2024, and net profit of almost 20 million lei. Ferrero Romania currently employs around 120 people.

A manufacturing operation would materially expand the group's local presence beyond sales and distribution. For importers and distributors, Romanian production could alter the origin and routing of some confectionery supplies sold in the domestic market or elsewhere in the region. However, there is not yet enough information to determine whether Ferrero would replace imports, supply neighboring markets from Romania or continue using its existing international factory network.

Regional trade implications remain uncertain

Ferrero operates 41 factories and employs more than 50,000 people, HotNews reported. Its portfolio contains more than 35 brands sold in over 170 countries, including Nutella, Kinder, Ferrero Rocher, Raffaello and Tic Tac. The group remains controlled by the Ferrero family, now in its third generation, after beginning in Alba, Italy, in 1946.

For the financial year ended 31 August 2025, Ferrero reported consolidated revenue of €19.3 billion, an increase of 4.6% from the previous year. It invested almost €1.1 billion during the year in capacity development and growth. Those figures show that the Romanian registration comes during a broader investment cycle, but no portion of that expenditure has been linked publicly to Romania.

The type of operation also remains open. Ferrero could build a new plant, acquire existing capacity or select another production arrangement, Playtech reported. Until the company confirms a project, the filing should be viewed as preparation rather than a final investment decision. The eventual choice of products will determine the main trade effects, including demand for cocoa, hazelnuts, sugar and packaging, as well as the potential displacement of finished-confectionery imports into Romania.