Regina Naturii is a well-known Moldovan maker of natural honeys that has improved its leadership on local and foreign markets with honey that has no chemical additives.
‘’Regina Naturii is a place where tradition and modern practices meet, where village beekeeping and state-of-the-art processing come together,’’ explains Nicanor Negru, Regina Naturii CEO.
The company was founded in 2014 and started operations with 100 beehives. Today, they have 500 of their own in addition to a successful network of local beekeepers who provide pure natural honey.
With support from the EBRD and the EU, through ProCreditBank, a local partner financial institution, Regina Naturii has been able to scale up its business to new heights. Companies wanting to upgrade their production processes to European standards can benefit from an EU4Business-EBRD Credit Line, receive EBRD loans and up to 15% cashback supported by the EU.
‘’Our investment covered Regina Naturii’s main operations,’’ says Nicanor. “We invested in equipment to prolong the shelf life and quality of our honey, machines to clean the honey of impurities and preheat the raw product to liquefy it before further processing, as well as transportation vehicles, storage facilities and more.”
The EBRD’s Advice for Small Businesses programme, with funding from the EU as part of its EU4Business Initiative, also supported the company to establish a recognized brand identity, smart packaging, and catchy web design to boost sales.
When the coronavirus pandemic hit the Moldovan economy, Regina Naturii found itself prepared, with an appealing website and so their employees were kept as busy as their bees. Firmly believing in the health benefits of their product, Regina Naturii distributed jars of honey to doctors and patients in hospitals.
‘’Honey is very important to our immune system and is a good source of antioxidants,’’ says Nicanor. “We built our brand and are loved by our customers because our honey is delicious, a real quality product, and we continue working and developing so that we do not let down our huge customer base.”
Last year, Regina Naturii exported products to Romania, Serbia, Germany, and Poland. The company now aims to extend its sales to northwestern Europe and the United Kingdom.
