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			Publicat de Ovidiu Stefanescu		
	
		24 Iul 2013 12:45 | 
|  An aphorism which recently started to circulate states that the  domestic companies active in the windows industry fall into two main  categories: firms already involved in export activities and companies  which are dreaming to sell their products on foreign markets. No doubt,  it is an exaggeration, but the extent to  which that assumption is based on an objective reality is worth being  explored. A degree of uncertainty regarding the absolute truth of the  previous statement is induced by the high levels of instability  characteristic for this field. We are probably speaking here about the  lethargy of the domestic market which became the main impetus for  producers in their quest to access the Western European markets. The  question in this approach is related to the qualitative aspects of the  finished product, not the quantity, as local manufacturers have been  accustomed in their relationship with the Romanian users. Probably the  main determinant of a possible "drain" consists in the low level of the  local demand. Basically, after a long period of financial relaxing, when  the loans criteria were among the least restrictive in history, the  economic crisis has led to the imposition of overly strict rules, the  main effect being the total obstruction of the lending process. Lack of  liquidity has led, inevitably, to a dramatic decrease in the use of  existing capacities at the end of 2008 (which were already oversized).  As an immediate effect, the most important companies in the industry  became unprofitable. Also, another issue which has exercised a decisive  influence on the subsequent activity was the massive degree of  indebtedness of many competitors in the market, caused by acquisitions  of technology, achieved within the "boom" period of the economy. In  short, many companies were forced to hold active extremely expensive  equipments with an almost zero degree of exploitation. Moreover,  pressures from banks have increased amid devaluation of collateral  (usually real estate liabilities) that facilitated the grant funding  lines. The situation has, therefore, become extremely tough and,  beginningW ith the first year of the  recession came the first wave of insolvencies, this sign indicating what  was to happen in the next interval.
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