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Horaţiu Ţepeş

EY World Entrepreneur Of The Year Class of 2021, Romania

Horaţiu Ţepeş, General Manager of Bilka

Areas of focus Entrepreneurship

The sky is the limit for roofing manufacturer Bilka.

Photographic portrait of Romania

Horaţiu Ţepeş

Horaţiu Ţepeş has always liked to think big. When he was 24, he joined a company that manufactured roofing systems and quickly learned the industry had huge potential. He decided that he not only wanted to start his own company, but completely reinvent the roofing industry. In 2007, Horaţiu founded Bilka, which is now Romania’s leading roofing manufacturer with 550 employees.

His determination to offer customers the best possible experience has led to success. Horaţiu greatly expanded roofing options, introducing innovative new products in a vast array of colors. He also improved logistics within the industry, ensuring that each product order reached the construction site within 24 hours. This was a complete contrast to the lengthy waiting times of competitors.

As Bilka’s customer base grew, Horaţiu was quick to scale, buying more factory and warehouse space and increasing manufacturing. Before long Bilka had become the largest manufacturer of roofing systems in Eastern Europe. He now wants to expand further into Europe and “to become a growth model for other entrepreneurs, and show that everything is possible through hard work and perseverance.”