Bulgaria names investors of the year
Devnya Cement was named Investor of the Year 2014 at a ceremony held by the Invest Bulgaria Agency on February 4 2015.
The company was awarded for its 114 million leva modernisation project at its plant, part of a 325 million leva investment, creating more than 3000 jobs.
More than 80 companies were nominated for awards, which are given out according to criteria including sustained investment, job creation, use of high-tech and consideration for the environment.
The winner in the Successful Startup category was CNS Textiles, in Innovative Business, Telkas-Bulgaria, in Investing in Expanding Market Share, Bulpharma.
The Investment in Environmental Protection award went to Aurubis Bulgaria, Investment in Business Expansion went to LUKOIL Neftochim Bourgas, Investing in a Merger and Acquisition went to Telerik (now part of Progress), Investment in Human Capital went to Yazaki Bulgaria, and the Greenfield Investment award was won by Berg Hella.
Speaking at the ceremony, President Rossen Plevneliev said that it was no coincidence that the event was attended by so many ministers, politicians, MPs and ambassadors. He said that this was because “politicians in Bulgaria realise who pays taxes and who creates jobs and prospects for our country – the investors and entrepreneurs in the country”.
Plevneliev said that Bulgaria had a long-term development plan, clear priorities and objectives to the year 2020, resulting from full political consensus.
“Every investor is important because it is part of the road to modernization and positioning Bulgaria as a good place for doing business in the region,” he said.
He outlined several measures to improve the investment environment in the country, including the construction of fast train connections, highways, water treatment plants, integrated transport projects in major cities, 27 new industrial zones, the first innovation ecosystems, as well as a number of national and European programmes to encourage investors.
