Five of the top 20 biggest companies in Romania by turnover are French investments, which makes France one of the most influential foreign investors in Romania.

There are more than 8,100 companies in Romania controlled by French investors, and the total value of the capitals placed by these investors in local companies is some EUR 2.42 billion. France is thus the fifth largest source of capital for local companies, according to official data from Romania’s Trade Registry’s Office (ONRC).

The top 30 French-owned companies in Romania last year had a cumulated turnover of EUR 12.4 billion, some 6% higher compared to 2013. Their total net profits (after subtracting the losses) were EUR 392 million, an increase of almost 60% year-on-year. The 30 companies had more than 61,000 employees, some 4,500 more than in 2013, according to data compiled by Romania-Insider.com.

French carmaker Renault is by far the largest foreign investor in Romania. It owns the Automobile Dacia car factory near Pitesti, which has become the country’s largest company by turnover in the last two years. It also has technology centers, where Romanian and foreign engineers work not just on new Dacia models, but also on new technical solutions for all Renault brands. The Renault group companies made over EUR 4.9 billion revenues and almost EUR 100 million net profits in Romania last year, and had 16,500 employees.

Other big French investments in the automotive sector come from tire manufacturer Michelin, which owns three factories in Romania, and auto components manufacturer Valeo.

The other sector where French companies have a strong position in Romania is retail. French hypermarket chains Carrefour, Auchan and Cora last year had EUR 2.26 billion cumulated sales in Romania and more than 21,400 employees.

GDF Suez Energy Romania is one of the country’s biggest energy and utilities companies, as it brings natural gas to 1.4 million customers in the Southern part of Romania. Orange is the country’s number one mobile carrier, and BRD is one of Romania’s top three banks.

French groups are also among the top players in the food industry (Expur for edible oil, Danone for dairy), the pharmaceutical industry (Sanofi-Aventis) and building materials industry (Lafarge).

The full ranking of the biggest French companies in Romania can be found here.

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Andrei Chirileasa, andrei@romania-insider.com