FRD Center Market Entry Services
www.frdcenter.ro – a privately owned market entry consulting firm based in Romania
FRD Center provides customised market entry
services, business intelligence and market support
for foreign companies interested to enter the
Romanian and regional markets as exporters,
franchisors, investors, producers or joint-ventures, to
source in CE and SE Europe or to relocate their
manufacturing operations in the region.
Since 2000, FRD Center has been the trade
consultant for the Irish Government Agency,
Enterprise Ireland.
Other clients include organisations and companies
from: Austria, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark,
Germany, Greece, Ireland, Israel, Jordan, Lithuania,
Norway, Poland, UK, USA, South Africa, Spain,
Switzerland etc.
FRD Center is a member of the British Business Group in Bucharest, of the Global Consulting Network-GCN, the
International Subsidiary Development network (ISD), of the Expansion Alliance Group in USA, of the Emergy
Network and of the Eurolink Partners group.
FRD Center is the correspondent member for Romania of M&A Europe.
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Services
The market entry consulting services are custom-made to fit the Client’s
requirements. Our approach is personalised, with a Client Services style
similar to the advertising agencies structure.
Our services include:
- market reports, sectorial studies, market briefs
- business opportunities assessment
- identification, selection and profiling of
- suppliers
- importers / distributors
- potential clients
- competitors
- candidates for Master Franchise/Area Development
- identification, selection, profiling of M&A / investment targets
- M&A advisory, support and pursuit to deal closure
- commercial due diligence
- identification of market opportunities: sourcing, sales etc.
- identification of market barriers
- trade missions, business itineraries, inward buyer missions
- follow up services
- company setting-up, legal formalities, business relocation*
- recruiting, office hiring*
* through partner companies and consultants
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Expertise
Some of the sectors covered to date are: Track record to date:
- building and construction – services, materials, - over 60 market reports and sectorial studies
equipment - several international franchising projects
- FMCGs, retail - over 50 market briefs and presentations
- automotive, transportation - 8 large trade missions
- chemicals, fertilisers - over 50 market opportunities assessment projects
- medical supplies, laboratory equipment - over 40 projects for partners and providers identification,
- software, telecom, IT&C selection and profiling
- furniture - 10 M&As advisory and support projects
- industrial manufacturing, electronics, tools - over 30 business itineraries in the target territory
- waste water treatment, waste management - over 10 inward buyer missions to Ireland
- green energy, bio-fuels, LPG, wind power - over 10 marketing and brand strategy projects
- agricultural machinery
- oil & gas, paints & varnishes, lubricants Average selling prices
14.00
- human and veterinary pharmaceuticals Siliceous sands (quartz or industrial sands)
- alcoholic drinks 12.00 Sands for constructions (excl. metallic sands)
Gravels, stones and silex used for concrete
manufacturing
- textiles, knitwear 10.00
Gravels, stones&silex used for road paving,
railways&ballasts
- banking, non-banking financial services
EUR/tonne
8.00 Crushed dolomite for concrete manufacturing
- insurance 6.00
Gross or roughly carved limestone for
constructions
- training, education services 4.00
Limestone cut in plates with thickness <= 25 cm
Limestone cut in blocks with thickness >25 cm
- printing, book publication
2.00 Other crushed stones for concrete manufacturing,
- foods & beverages road, railway&other construction works
Chippings
0.00
2003 2004 2005
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Business Case Studies - examples
Case Study One: Case Study Two:
B2B Client identification in Romania - Qualification of suppliers in Romania – industrial
automotive manufacturing
The Challenge: The Challenge:
The Client is an multinational manufacturing The Client is a British furniture manufacturer with
company of high quality foams. They are used in exports to USA looking to identify and select a
a variety of sectors, including automotive. The local manufacturer of specific furniture in Romania
company is looking to identify potential new B2B in order to replace his Chinese supplier.
clients in Romania.
The Solution:
The Solution: FRD Center carried out a national-wide research in
FRD Center provided market research services order to identify and select most appropriate
which resulted in a comprehensive market report, candidates that fit the profile supplied by the
detailed profiles of the companies active in this Client. Each company has been individually
market in Romania – potential new clients, checked for capability, expertise, credibility,
secondary targets (i.e. utilizing specific performance, price level etc. The search resulted in
technologies), consulting services for market a short-list of candidates who have been
opportunities assessment etc. thoroughly profiled after their interest in a
collaboration has been confirmed.
The Client was very pleased with the result in
Romania and commissioned FRD Center to carry Second phase of the project consisted of business
out similar projects in Poland, Czech Republic, itinerary in Romania for the Client to directly meet
Slovakia and Turkey, through its network of and negotiate with the candidates.
partners in the region. 4

Case studies – examples, continued
Case Study Three: Case Study Four:
Mystery Shopping in Bulgaria – financial services Comprehensive market opportunities assessment
report in Romania – NPK fertilisers
The Challenge:
The Client is a leading provider of strategic The Challenge:
business solutions, with experience of hundreds The Client is a major Middle Eastern company,
of projects conducted for companies worldwide. part of a group of companies looking to expand
With main offices in London interested to the Eastern Europe markets.
evaluating the Bulgarian consumer finance
market on behalf of a UK Client-company. The Solution:
FRD Center provided comprehensive market
The Solution: research services which resulted in a detailed
FRD Center provided mystery shopping services market report, market opportunities assessment,
in several Bulgarian cities, as per the Client’s players profiles, suggestions for market entry
specifications. tactics etc..
The services provided consisted of two phases – As a second stage, a Marketing Strategy is due to
initial phase followed by the second phase, be designed in 2009.
involving 30 store visits and 10 consumer credit
branch visits, collection of data by direct
interviewing and data processing.
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Case studies – examples, continued
Case Study Five: Case Study Six:
International Franchise entry in Romania - Data collection and analysis in Czech Republic and
restaurants Romania – medical sector
The Challenge: The Challenge:
The Client is a publicly traded company listed on The Client is a US based major multi-specialty
the New York Stock Exchange, which through its health care company focused on discovering,
subsidiaries and franchises operates two developing and commercializing innovative
reputable quick-service restaurants brands. It is pharmaceuticals, biologics and medical devices that
one of America's premier foodservice chains that enable people to live life to its greatest potential.
operates or franchises more than 3,100 locations
in 45 states and 14 countries. Through one of our partners, the Client have
commissioned FRD Center to collect and analyse
The Client have commissioned FRD Center to do market data regarding specific cosmetic and plastic
a market scan in Romania, identify and select surgery procedures.
potential candidates for the Master Franchise and
Area Developer role. The Solution:
FRD Center identified relevant targets, secured one-
The Solution: to-one meetings/telephone calls and carried out 40
FRD Center identified and selected a shortlist of interviews – in each country - with plastic surgeons,
4 candidate-companies, secured one-to-one cosmetics specialists, experts in beauty procedures
meetings at owner’s level, assisted with logistics etc. in the Czech Republic and Romania. The data
of the 2-day business itinerary of the Client. was centralized, analysed and provided to the
consulting company partner for final analysis.
FRD Center is discussing the possibility of
becoming a Local Broker for the Client. 6

Case Study Seven: Case Study Eight:
Support for M&A in Romania – green energy Comprehensive market report of the
constructions sector in Romania
The Challenge:
The Client is an internationally renowned The Challenge:
financial organisation looking to expand its The Client is a 224.7 million GBP profit (June
operations in Central Eastern Europe through the 2007) construction materials company with
acquisition of a local player in the LPG sector in headquarters in the UK looking to expand its
Romania. operations in Central Eastern Europe. The Client
is also taking into account the acquisition of a
The Solution: local player in Romania.
FRD Center provided market research services
which resulted in a comprehensive market report The Solution:
and detailed profiles of the companies active in FRD Center provided comprehensive market
this market in Romania. research services which resulted in a detailed
market report, market opportunities assessment,
Also, the services provided were the selection of players profiles, market entry strategies
most suitable candidates, direct approach for assessment.
interest assessment, securing meetings with the
target-companies and logistic support during the As follow-up, FRD Center was requested by the
business itinerary in Romania. Client to deliver also a comprehensive sector
presentation in London.
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Case studies – examples, continued
Case Study Nine: Case Study Ten:
B2B Market analysis in Romania – refrigeration Multi-sector trade mission in Romania
equipment
The Challenge:
The Challenge: The Client is the governmental trade agency in
The Client is the largest employers federation in one of the most dynamic economies in Western
Denmark who have commissioned FRD Center Europe, interested in providing business
to do an in-depth analysis for one of their matchmaking services in Romania to a group of
member-companies. its Client-Companies.
The Danish company was looking at their most The Solution:
important B2B customer segments in order to FRD Center developed a country-wide research
initiate a strategic development process in project in order to generate relevant multi-sector
Romania. d-bases of potential contacts.
The Solution: Most relevant local companies have been
FRD Center provided desk research services, approached for assessing interest in a meeting
direct interviews and CATI services covering six with the client-company / companies. Meetings
sub-sectors in Romania. have been secured and business itineraries have
been designed and implemented.
Over 300 relevant target companies and over 100
completed questionnaires have resulted from this Follow-up services have been provided post-trade
project which covered the whole country. mission.
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Clients
Long-term FRD Center clients include:
- Enterprise Ireland – the Irish Agency for Trade and Technology
- PMR Consulting Ltd.
- International Management Development – IMD Lausanne
- Avonbrook Ltd.
- Playprint Ltd.
Some other distinguished FRD Center clients are:
-
- Hydroplan Norway - Faessler AG - PM Group
- Manaseer Chemicals - Target Trade Israel - Trocellen GmbH Germany
- Mary Brown’s Canada - Innovation Norway - Dansk Industri
- Boston Consulting Group - I & JL Brown UK - Two-Ten Health
- John Sisk & Son - AMR International - Asavie
- DCC Corporate Finance - Yuvalon Ltd. Israel - Treatment Systems Ltd.
- CKE Restaurants - Medentech Ireland - SAP Group
- Norkom Technologies - Hanson plc. - Jennings O’Donovan
- Allergan Inc. - Resna Lithuania - Monex Financial Services
- FloGas Ireland - IONA Technologies - Bimeda Veterinary Products
- Macalla Software - Titan Eko - Hydro International
- Clore Automotive USA - Ikarus Ltd. - ORS Consulting
- Fair Isaac Inc. - Netsure - Alatto Technologies
- HistoBest Canada - ChangingWorlds - Idiro
- ProfVet Norway - Zarion Ireland - Openmind Networks
- Crannog Software - DBI - Openet Telecom
- Dromone Engineering - E-Spatial - TaxBack International
- Xiam Software - KleenFlo Canada - Combilift Ltd.
- Microchem Ireland - RAEF - MetPro Group
- Bioverda GmbH - EmergentSky Ltd. - Murray O Laoire Architects 9
- Cape Technologies - Shenick Network Systems

Partners
FRD Center collaborates with a series of relevant local,
regional and international partners. Some of them are:
- Consulton Poland
- MarketIn Slovakia
- Davier Consultants Canada
- BC Serdon Bulgaria
- Handel Export N. Ireland
- SONSEC Germany
- avanTARGET UK
- B&L Consultanta Romania
- The Chamber of Commerce of Herefordshire UK
- MC Xtend Italy
- Cassel International Business Consulting USA
- Fenec Trade Spain
- Koobet Argentina
- GBZ Consult UK
- Swords Consultancy Ltd. Ireland
- AXA International Romania
- Lagerkvist International Sweden
- Gordius Consulting Hungary
- BLC Group Cyprus
- Lapis Business consulting ltd Israel
- Precision One UK
- Zelos Communications Canada
- UC-Sikos Bulgaria
- STEM/MARK a.s. Czech Republic
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Team
FRD Center operates with a team of 4 core senior consultants specialised in Market Research,
Business Matchmaking, Market Entry Strategy and M&A Advisory.
A pool of over 10 experienced sector-specialists cover fields of interest at a particular time.
Specialist consultant-partners cover areas such as Management Consulting, Training,
Recruitment, Legal Consulting etc.
Main contact:
Jackie Bojor, Director of Business Development
FRD Center, Bucharest, Romania –
www.frdcenter.ro
tel: +4021 411 1460; fax: +4021 411 1461
e-mail: europa@frdcenter.ro
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