With the ongoing adaptation of Moldovan consumers to European standards, the eco bag-making business started in Moldova. It entered a new stage of development when a grant obtained under EU4Business-EBRD Credit Line allowed Denis Corabliov, the owner of a company called Sacose.md— “sacose” meaning bags— bought an automated production line to helped him diversify his offerings.
A launch pad for young entrepreneurs in Moldova
The EU4Business initiative provides support and encourages SME owners to improve the quality of their products and modernize their services. Denis Corabliov says his business idea came with the ban on single-use plastic bags in his country.
“Until recently, due to their low cost, plastic bags still represented competition for eco bags,” explains Denis Corabliov. “But now we are adapting to European standards and eco bags have become popular.”
“We’ve managed to become more competitive and to automate the production of eco packages,” reports Corbaliov. “Thanks to EU4Business-EBRD credit line, we were able to purchase an automated production line.”
Driven by EU support, Sacose.md increased both its production capacity and the size of its workforce.
“We have expanded our team with three more people, so we now have 20 dedicated employees,” Corabliov says.
A pandemic crisis turned into an advantage
The onset of the Covid-19 pandemic coincided with the expansion of the Sacose.md production line acquired through an EU loan and the increase in the number of employees. The company had to quickly reorient and take certain urgent measures.
“Most of out clients until now, the advertisers and retailers, had suspended their activity, following the restrictions imposed by the government,” recalls Corabliov. “We had to act quickly, to keep our employees engaged and the entire garment department running well. But we also had to stand shoulder to shoulder against Covid-19. So, we started to produce protective masks and gowns.”
During this period, due to its high production capacity, Sacose.md also began to export medical equipment to countries like France and Italy. These consumables were exported to commercial distributors, but Sacose.md’s bags are currently sold only on the local market in Moldova.
For Sacose.md, the future looks promising, indeed. Corabliov plans to purchase equipment to provide raw materials for the domestic market and facilitate the work of local producers, and to offer more diverse and affordable products.
