Grup Şerban Holding: driving agribusiness growth in Romania
Grup Şerban Holding, a leading Romanian agribusiness player, is embarking on an ambitious investment strategy for the period 2025-2029. The plan involves major infrastructure expansion, aiming to modernize its operations and significantly increase capacity across its diverse business lines.
These strategic moves are designed to consolidate the company's long-term market position and capitalize on the growing demand within the Romanian and European agribusiness sectors.
Significant investments in modern logistics and processing
Enhanced storage capabilities
A cornerstone of Grup Şerban's expansion is the construction of new controlled-environment vegetable storage facilities. A substantial €15.3 million investment, partially funded by non-reimbursable grants, will establish a new complex in Sascut, Bacău county. This project features five refrigerated halls with a combined capacity of 30,000 tons, a 5,000 sqm logistics warehouse, and a state-of-the-art line for sorting, washing, and packaging potatoes with a capacity of 10 tons per hour.
Upon completion, the group's total cold storage capacity will reach 51,500 tons. Complementing this, the company currently operates cereal deposits and vegetable storage spaces with a total capacity of 162,000 tons and 21,500 tons respectively. Strategic projects initiated two years ago, focusing on refrigerated storage and vegetable packaging, have already reached full operational capacity, demonstrating the group's commitment to modernization.
Advanced food processing
Further solidifying its market leadership, Grup Şerban Holding is developing a modern factory for processing frozen pre-fried potatoes. This facility is projected to achieve a minimum annual production of 35,000 tons of French fries and 7,000 tons of hash browns.
This initiative directly addresses Romania's significant import dependency, with the country currently importing 40-50% of its internal potato needs and 50% of its root vegetables. By integrating advanced processing capabilities, the group aims to reduce reliance on imports and supply high-quality, locally produced goods to both retail and HoReCa sectors.
A diverse and integrated agribusiness ecosystem
Founded in 1994, Grup Şerban operates as an integrated agribusiness collective with multiple lines of activity, including agribusiness, zootechnics, bakery, and distribution & transport services. The group owns and cultivates 13,000 hectares of land, with 2,500 hectares benefiting from irrigation. Its structure includes specialized subsidiaries:
Interagroaliment SRL (IAA): The group's first venture, focusing on crop cultivation and animal farming.
Ferma Avicola Şerban SRL (FAS): Now specializing in renting production halls and producing feed for third parties.
Fabrica de pâine Şerban SRL (FPS): Responsible for the production of bread, cakes, and fresh pastry products.
Şerban Distribuţie SRL (SD): Manages distribution and logistics services.
FYN Invest Danmark SRL (FYN) and Luma Land SRL (LUMA): Recent acquisitions focused on crop cultivation and animal farming, further diversifying the group's agricultural footprint.
This integrated approach allows Grup Şerban to manage its value chain efficiently, from cultivation to processing and distribution.
Strategic vision and market leadership
Despite a challenging first half of 2025 with a reported turnover of 147.6 million lei (down 37% year-on-year), Grup Şerban demonstrated remarkable growth in its vegetable segment (+431%). The company aims to achieve an EBITDA of €50-60 million by 2030, a four to five-fold increase from 2024 levels, underscoring its aggressive growth targets.
Grup Şerban's commitment to agricultural innovation is highlighted by its early adoption of regenerative agriculture on large areas and its success in achieving high potato yields of over 40 tons/ha through extensive irrigation, significantly outperforming national averages.
The group's membership in Europatat, the European potato trade association, further cements its role on the international stage and its dedication to promoting Romanian potatoes in the European market.
Unlocking opportunities for businesses seeking space
Grup Şerban Holding's ambitious expansion strategy is a powerful indicator of a vibrant and growing agribusiness sector in Romania. For businesses seeking office or warehouse space to rent, this development signifies a dynamic environment with increasing demand for supporting services. The construction of new cold storage facilities, logistics warehouses, and a large-scale processing plant directly fuels the need for expanded supply chain infrastructure.
Companies specializing in transport, cold chain solutions, packaging, machinery maintenance, or even administrative support will find themselves operating within an ecosystem poised for substantial growth. Investing in areas around these strategic development hubs, such as Sascut in Bacău county, could offer prime locations for businesses looking to establish or expand their presence alongside major industry players like Grup Şerban Holding, leveraging shared logistical networks and a burgeoning market.
Grup Şerban Holding's commitment to significant investment and strategic growth positions it as a key driver of modernization in Romania's agribusiness sector. These infrastructure developments offer robust opportunities for a range of businesses to thrive within an expanding and increasingly sophisticated logistics and processing landscape.
Source: bursa.ro
