The Romanian businesses of the French group Saint-Gobain increased by 5% in 2013, compared to the level of the previous year and reached 700 million RON, equivalent to about 156.7 million EUR, while the operational financial results of the local branches improved considerably. The management's forecasts for the current year remain positive and the growth trend will be recorded in 2015 as well, when the group will celebrate 350 years of experience. In Romania, Saint-Gobain coordinates four companies (Saint-Gobain Construction Products with the divisions Isover, PAM, Rigips and Weber; Saint-Gobain Glass Romania, with the divisions Glass and Abrasives, MTI Impex Braşov and Brodrene Dahl), with about 1.100 employees and 12 production sites in eight industrial centers located in Braşov, Brăneşti, Călăraşi, Ploieşti, Satu Mare, Tulcea, Turda and Suceava. The businesses of Saint-Gobain Construction Products Romania stabilized last year at a similar level to the one recorded in 2012, over 50% of the turnover being achieved by the activity of Rigips. The Rigips Business Unit of Saint-Gobain is the local market leader for dry systems based on gypsum (plaster, walls and floors), plaster products for construction and industry and products for fixed and removable ceilings. "For 2014, we provided investments of about 2.2 million EUR for the purchase of equipment for upgrading the processes of establishments in Turda as well as for the works necessary to ensure the optimum protection of the environment and strengthening the level of health and safety at work, helping to increase the energy efficiency and production capacity", said Constantin Hariton, CEO of Saint-Gobain Rigips. Although there are no data from an official monitoring of the National Institute of Statistics (INS), the local drywall market has reached, according to the data of Saint-Gobain, a maximum of 80-85 million EUR at the end of 2013 and, in terms of volume traded, the quantity was below the rate of 40 million sqm recorded two years ago.