Trace Group Hold (TGH), Transstroy-AM AD-Sofia and Investor.BG AD are the three most liquid companies, on the Bulgarian Stock Exchange (BSE), that have had more than a 100 per cent increase in their non-consolidated sales in 2007. According to their quarterly reports for 2007, which have to be submitted by companies to the BSE, in 2007 road construction firm TGH saw an increase in sales of 887 per cent, Transstroy-AM AD Sofia 194 per cent and Investor BG 134 per cent.  

Fourth was Holding Putishta with an increase of 98 per cent followed by battery producer Monbat with 83 per cent. The latter announced plans to increase production by 40 per cent this year due to high demand. Monbat is also looking for acquisitions in the region as capacity expansion was not sufficient to meet all orders. The producer will announce its investment programme by end of March, which will include building new facilities for its subsidiary Start in the northern city of Dobrich. The company’s sales are expected to increase by 30 per cent in 2008. In 2007 Monbat boosted sales by 83.2 per cent to 144 million leva. This was mainly driven by exports as local market turnover rose by 26 per cent.

TGH stock holders also have reasons to be optimistic this year. After the company’s positive performance in 2007, this year seems promising as the company has already announced some of its investment plans. In January the company signed a contract with Wirtgen Bulgaria for the purchase of equipment worth more than 2.2 million euro. The machinery is expected to be delivered in April 2008. It includes five Voegele road paving machines, 21 HAMM road rollers and a Wirtgen road milling machine. The move was prompted by the expansion of the asphalt mix output capacity of the company. The contract was the second for TGH, after the earlier purchase of four asphalt units worth four million euro. Combined, the two contracts will take TGH to the dominant position in asphalt production in the country.