Poultry producer TRANSAVIA is expanding its operations into the pet food market through a EUR 150 million investment fully financed from reinvested profit. The new facility, located in Ciugud, Alba County, will be the largest pet food production plant in Romania and one of the biggest in Europe.
With a total built area of 65,000 square metres, the factory will produce dry and wet food for dogs and cats, using poultry by-products and other ingredients sourced mainly from TRANSAVIA’s own farms and feed crops. Production is expected to begin in the second half of 2026, following equipment installation and testing in early 2026.
“We are entering an important strategic stage that will allow us to continue our mission of doing things the right way and offering safe, high-quality products. For us, expanding into pet food is not a change of direction, but a natural continuation of our way of working, responsibly, correctly, and with care for everything around us”, says Ioan Popa, President and Founder of TRANSAVIA. “We have always chosen not to waste anything and to turn resources into value. Now we do the same, offering high-quality products for the four-legged members of families. This new division in our 100% integrated model allows us to ensure that every part of the chicken is used efficiently, avoiding by-product waste and reducing food loss. Parts of the chicken that are not preferred by consumers or not destined for human consumption, yet perfectly suitable and nutritious for animal food, together with other carefully selected ingredients, will be processed into nutritious, safe, high-quality food for dogs and cats.”
The plant will have an installed photovoltaic capacity of 12 MWp, energy and heat recovery systems, and a wastewater treatment unit, in line with the company’s zero-waste and sustainability goals. Fully automated and robotised, it will operate continuous production and logistics flows, including automated packaging and warehousing systems.
TRANSAVIA expects the new division to help double its EBITDA within two to three years after launch, from over EUR 100 million currently to about EUR 250 million. The project is also set to create new jobs and integrate local suppliers into its production chain.
Romania’s pet food market was worth more than EUR 1 billion in 2024, according to Euromonitor, growing by nearly 10% year-on-year. Despite this, less than 3% of pet food sold through modern retail channels is produced locally.
“We have observed growing demand for high-quality products in this sector, alongside a lack of local production capacity, Our expertise in production and distribution allows us to add significant value to the Romanian pet food market. This investment represents a strategic step in diversifying our operations by adding a new interconnected link to our 100% integrated business model and strengthening our regional position. We aim to enter the top 10 global pet food producers, while maintaining the high standards of quality and sustainability that define TRANSAVIA. This cutting-edge facility will have a lasting economic impact, reinforcing Romania’s position as a global player and promoting Romanian-made pet food products that are nutritious, tasty, and sustainable,” explain Theodora Popa-Liteanu, Vice President of TRANSAVIA.
