Exim Banca Romanească supports the development of Sophia Group Iasi, manufacturer and franchisor specialized in curtains and drapes
Exim Banca Românească granted to the Sophia group of companies in Iasi, one of the important players in the production and commercialization of textile decorations in Romania, a financing totaling 5.2 million lei within the SME Invest program. The funds supported the investment in a new headquarters in Iasi that includes warehouses, textile factory, showroom and office area, in the context of accelerated expansion of the store network.
The Sophia brand was founded in 2004 by Anamaria Stefan Georgescu with the desire to create a unique business concept in Romania: expanding a network of franchises at national and international level in the field of interior design, offering customized products made to order and consultancy, with a focus on luxury curtains and drapes. In 2005 the company opened its first store in a franchise system, and currently the brand has a network of 30 franchises in Romania and one in Miami, USA, as well as distributors in major cities around the world.
“Our strategy in recent years has focused on developing the franchised store network, and the rapid expansion has led us to rethink the logistics and production process in order to have an optimal delivery time and to cover the demand for our stores. We are delighted that we managed, with the support of Exim Banca Românească, to benefit from financing under the SME Invest program, facilities that allowed us to carry out our activity in the best conditions, but also to inaugurate the new headquarters. With the financing secured, we can focus on achieving the strategic objectives we have set, namely strengthening our position on the profile market and developing the distribution activity both locally and abroad”, said Anamaria Stefan Georgescu, founder of Sophia.
In addition to trade, an important part of the company’s activity consists in making custom-made textile decorations – curtains, drapes, bedspreads, tablecloths etc. – in the three creative workshops in Bucharest, Iasi and Moțca. Each product is customized according to customer requirements, so that the company’s portfolio includes projects for both private homes and HoReCa – such as Cassis hotels (Les Roches Blanches) in France, or castles in the province of Languedoc, such as Château Saint Pierre de Serjac, and cultural institutions – Union Museum in Iasi, Alexandru Ioan Cuza Palace in Ruginoasa, Mihail Kogălniceanu Museum, Vasile Alecsandri National Theatre in Iasi, Queen Mary Museum or Romanian Athenaeum.
Exim Banca Românească continues to support entrepreneurs, small and medium-sized enterprises and small enterprises with medium market capitalization, by participating in the SME Invest Plus program, developed by the Romanian state, facilitating this year again the access to financing under special conditions to ensure the necessary liquidity in current activity or investments
By being involved in this governmental program, Exim Banca Românească offers companies the opportunity to access financing to ensure the liquidity necessary for carrying out the current activity or for investments under special conditions. The maximum amount of credits can be up to 10 mil. lei for investments and up to 5 mil. lei for working capital, financing can be accessed with state guarantees covering up to 90% of the credits granted for investments and/or for supporting current activity.
Exim Banca Românească is a 100% Romanian universal bank, ranked in top 10 largest credit institutions by assets. The bank offers its clients, individuals and corporate, a wide range of quality products and services, adapted to their needs. Exim Banca Românească operates a national distribution network of 83 branches and 26 Corporate Units, the latter being dedicated exclusively to companies, a network that allows it to be close to retail and corporate customers and to implement various Romanian and European development programs.