“We are a young team and we constantly invest in the professional development of our staff,” says the 27-year old director of the company. Mr. Barladeanu proudly acknowledges that his deputy is the same age, the company’s accountant is 22 years old and the average age of staff is just over 30. Companies like PB Nord create vital employment opportunities in rural Moldova and keep young people at home, close to their families and children.
To date, over 100 companies across Moldova benefited from World Bank grants to finance improvements in their quality standards and management practices. PB Nord has spent around US $11,000 on these efforts of which 50% are matching grant money provided by the World Bank. “Quality is one of the preconditions for competitiveness. Therefore, we see substantial demand for quality assurance services. Given that money is in short supply, the Government of Moldova has asked the World Bank to offer an additional US $2 million to scale up access to quality assurance services for Moldovan firms”, says Victor Burunsus, PSD Specialist.
“We saw successful companies around the world implement quality management systems. We have made it apriority at PB Nord to adapt international standards of quality management in our business. Since we were investing heavily in essential technology, the World Bank program was a timely helping hand. It has helped us monitor and control all steps in our operational process and reduce potential losses”, mentions Gheorghe Barladeanu.
Once home to one of the best poultry farms in the Soviet Union, the town of Blesteni has witnessed an economic collapse following the dissolution of USSR. Years down the road, a Euro 500,000 grant raised through Dutch funding has helped revitalize the poultry and egg production business in the community. Today, the company’s business figure exceeds US $1.5 million and the management is constantly concerned with raising the quality of its products and the skills of its staff.
A warm welcome to have lunch in Blesteni remains kindly unanswered. All days’ special is chicken soup and fried chicken for the main course. An affordable must if you work at PB Nord, but a “no, thanks, I’ll have a salad” if you are visiting from out of town.
