Brothers Dragoș and Adrian Pavăl have managed to turn Dedeman into the leader of the DIY market, and this is something all Romanians know. What is not well known, however, is that the two have built a true financial empire, through massive investments in a wide range of fields.
The level they have reached is impressive, especially if we consider that they started from scratch. Moreover, their entrepreneurship story could serve as the source material for a film script.
As a computer science graduate, Dragoș Pavăl got a job in the financial department of a garment factory. In 1992, he decided to try out managing a business of his own. And the easiest option at the time was to resell consumer products he had previously bought in bulk.
This was how the first store appeared, with a surface of 16 square meters, and it was followed by a furniture shop. Then, since business was going well, he and his brother opened two more stores and started selling construction materials.
This was the starting point of what Dedeman means today: a company with a valuation of about 2 billion euros. From the profits they obtained, the Pavăl brothers began to invest in other areas. Impressive amounts went into the real estate market, where the two purchased The Bridge office project in Bucharest two years ago and The Office in Cluj-Napoca last year.
They also invested in the stock market, taking significant stock in valuable or high-potential companies such as Transelectrica, Conpet, Alro Slatina, Electrica or Antibiotice Iași.
The Pavăl brothers’ appetite for business and entrepreneurship stood out again last year, when they announced the launch of a private equity fund called Equiliant Capital, which the two want to use to invest in small and medium-sized companies
