PHARMACEUTICAL company Sopharma and the Veliko Turnovo-based Bolyarka brewery became this years winners of the Awards of the German Economy in Bulgaria.
The German-Bulgarian Chamber of Industry and Commerce presented the awards at a ceremony in Sofia on January 26. By rule, the award is given to a member company of the chamber and to a non-member company.
Prime Minister Sergei Stanishev addressed the event, presenting the Governments priorities in the run-up to joining the European Union, including the targeted date for accession on January 1 2007, high economic growth and enhancing the countrys competitiveness.
We will rely on the support of the German economy in relation to the German authorities for faster ratification of Bulgarias EU accession treaty, Stanishev said.
In his view, Germany is a very good economic partner for Bulgaria. While it is the fourth-largest investor in Bulgaria, this is far below the potential for economic co-operation, Stanishev said.
Sopharma, which was established in 1933 and privatised in 2000, has more than 260 trademarks on its product list and more than 50 patents. At the end of 2005, the company put into operation the largest and most modern warehouse terminal for medicines in the Balkans. It is the first in Bulgaria meeting European requirements for Good Distribution Practice.
The Bolyarka brewery is a wholly Bulgarian-owned company established in 1891 and privatised in 1997 by Melinvest Holding, an investment vehicle, which came into existence after the mass privatisation process in Bulgaria.
An investment programme for complete technological modernisation and introduction of highly effective technologies has been designed since. The programme is being successfully implemented with Germanys Krones and its subsidiary Steinecker under a project designed with Weihenstephan brewery institute in Freising, Germany. So far 35 million leva have been invested.
Bolyarka makes lager, special beer and stout. In June 2005, the brewery launched their Kaltenberg lager under licence - the first Bavarian beer to be made in Bulgaria.
This was the second time the German-Bulgarian Chamber of Industry and Commerce gave the Awards of the German Economy in Bulgaria. They are awarded to companies and institutions for projects or activities with a decisive contribution to Bulgarian-German economic relations, and, consequently, to the development of the Bulgarian economy and Bulgarias accession to the EU.
