Romanian furniture manufacturer Taparo, a key supplier to IKEA and major European retailers, is nearing bankruptcy after its judicial administrator formally requested the Maramureş Court to initiate bankruptcy proceedings, citing the full cessation of the company’s operations. The request, filed on May 29, was recorded in the Insolvency Proceedings Bulletin, Ziarul Financiar reported.
The filing noted “the complete cessation of the debtor’s operational activity, the lack of current income, the cessation of the provision of essential utilities, and the collective dismissal of the staff” as grounds for the bankruptcy petition.
Taparo, which had entered insolvency in November 2024, laid off its last 193 employees this spring, following an earlier round of 379 layoffs in late 2023. The company previously employed an average of 863 people.
Taparo had been one of Romania’s largest furniture exporters, delivering more than 80% of its production abroad. In addition to IKEA, it supplied major international retailers, including JYSK, OTTO, Argos, and NEXT. However, the company cited liquidity blockages, the collapse of client relationships, and unsustainable personnel costs as the main drivers of its financial crisis.
Meanwhile, Romania’s furniture industry is seeing increased interest from Chinese manufacturers.In May, Profit.ro reported that the Long Bamboo Group, a major bamboo products manufacturer and IKEA supplier from China, has entered the Romanian market to begin local production. The company, headquartered in Hong Kong with operations centred in Nanping, joins another Chinese firm, UE Furniture, which already produces chairs for IKEA in Orăștie.
In Romania, another Chinese company listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange, UE Furniture, produces chairs in Orăștie for IKEA.
iulian@romania-insider.com
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