ODBE will lease the center from NIPÜF, the national industrial park operator and developer, which built it at a cost of HUF 1 billion. The supply company will store inventories worth about HUF 2 bln, which will change every 14 days.

The center will employ 60 people and will supply 10% of the country or about 700 tobacco shops in the Western Transdanubia region, Managing Director Árpád Pehő said. ODBE operates ten distribution centers nationwide, supplying a total of 1,700 tobacco shops with its fleet of 165 vehicles and employing 700 workers, he added.

The concession company had after-tax profit of HUF 3.5 bln on net sales revenue of HUF 353 bln in 2017, making it the 11th biggest company in terms of sales, Pehő said.

ODBE was established by legislation passed in 2014 as a single company, licensed by the state, to buy tobacco from wholesalers and sell it to retailers.