Romanian manufacturing company Romtexim is celebrating its 35th anniversary, marking a journey that began in a basement storage room shortly after the fall of communism and evolved into a modern producer of commercial furniture, advertising displays and textile printing solutions serving international brands.
The company was founded by entrepreneur Vasile Ichim, who launched a small printing workshop in 1989 with limited equipment but a strong ambition to build a business in a rapidly changing Romania. Among the workshop’s first successful products were International Women’s Day greeting cards and T-shirts featuring the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, which quickly gained popularity in a market eager for new consumer goods.
Romtexim was officially registered on May 28, 1991, becoming one of the early private enterprises established in post-communist Romania. The company’s name derives from the Romanian words for textile printing: ROMania TEXtile IMprimări.
Operations remained in the basement workshop until 1994, when profits from the company’s early activities enabled the purchase of a house with a garage. The new location became the foundation for expansion into screen printing, plastic injection molding and commercial printing.
As Romania’s private sector developed during the 1990s, Romtexim identified a growing demand for advertising production and corporate signage. Newly established businesses required branding, visual identity solutions and promotional materials, creating new opportunities for the company.
A major turning point came in 2005 when Romtexim began working with Sony Romania. What started as advertising production soon expanded into the manufacturing of commercial furniture and retail displays. Despite having no prior experience with furniture production technologies, the company accepted the challenge and gradually internalized all manufacturing processes, including cutting, edging, painting, drilling and thermoforming.
The move allowed Romtexim to improve quality control, reduce production times and expand its customer base beyond Romania. The company eventually supplied commercial furniture projects in international markets, including the French Riviera.
In 2014, growing demand prompted the construction of a modern production facility in Șerbănești, representing one of the company’s largest investments and laying the groundwork for future growth.
Today, Romtexim works with clients across multiple industries. In textile screen printing, the company has produced work for luxury fashion brands including Dolce & Gabbana, Moschino, Max Mara, Off-White, Moon Boot and Inuikii.
Its advertising production and commercial furniture division has served clients such as Sony Romania, Orange, Coca-Cola, Schweppes, Fuze Tea, Guinot, L’Oréal, Kérastase and Top Line Romania.
The company has also completed projects for medical networks, including Cronos Med clinics throughout Romania, as well as large-scale healthcare projects in Ireland. Corporate clients include Bitdefender Romania, Veeam, Arvato Systems and Johnson & Johnson.
According to company representatives, Romtexim’s growth has been driven largely by client referrals and long-term partnerships rather than extensive marketing campaigns.
As it marks 35 years in business, Romtexim stands as an example of the entrepreneurial transformation that followed Romania’s transition to a market economy, demonstrating how a small family-run workshop evolved into a diversified manufacturing company with international reach.
“Thirty-five years means more than a milestone,” the company said in a statement. “It represents passion turned into a profession, courage transformed into achievements, and proof that durable, high-quality businesses can be built in Romania through hard work, integrity and commitment.”
