The beginnings of “Floarea Soarelui” S.A. oil factory

The beginnings of “Floarea Soarelui” S.A. oil factory

26.12.2022

The „Floarea Soarelui” company was founded by the Volman family, which did not have sufficient education and work experience in the food industry or engineering field. The Volman family owned their own printing house and, at the same time, was engaged in grain trading. It was the grain trading business that brought prosperity to the family.

The „Floarea Soarelui” plant was founded in 1922, but shortly afterwards the factory building was demolished and a new plant was built in replacement. That plant became the leading business in the districts of Soroca and Hotin, as well as in Balti.

There is very little information available about the operation of another oil factory in Balti – the „Ulmar” plant. In the 1930s there was no mention of it in the „Official Gazette of Romania”, which suggests that the plant had ceased to function. The Volman brothers took advantage of the situation, bought the „Ulmar” factory and modernized it.

Very few documents, which have been preserved, allow us to learn about the first operation years of the vegetable oil industry of the Volman brothers. According to the memories of the Volman family members, the equipment for the plant was provided by German companies along with the corresponding technologies.

In 1931 the plant began exporting its products to Western Europe. In 1933 a representative of the Romanian Society of Engineers and Agronomists, Mr. Carabella, visited Balti and later wrote an article about his journey for the „Annual Plowman Calendar”. He drew special attention to the importance of the vegetable oil and fat plant for the economy of the region.

Mr. Carabella also visited the exhibition, which was held in Balti at the time, and attended two pavilions of the vegetable oil factories. At the exhibition, he met the Volman brothers and visited their factory.

The company could process up to 1,000 wagons of sunflower seeds per year. In 1932 the plant processed 900 wagons of raw material and produced 2,000 tons of vegetable oil.

Carabella wrote a note stating that the vegetable oil from Bessarabia went to Bucharest, and the remaining products were exported through ports of Braila, Galati and Constanta.