Márka Üdítőgyártó Kft., maker of the cherry-flavored favorite Márka Meggy and a variety of other fruity soft drinks, currently contracts out production. However, after continuously gaining in popularity, it is currently considering opening its own factory and beginning expansion into the Balkan countries.

The firm plans to build a plant in Felsőlajos, in the Southern Great Plain region of Hungary, at a cost of around HUF 3 billion, a significant proportion of which it aims to finance from the central bank’s Growth Credit Program.

Márka increased revenues from HUF 1.5 bln in 2012 to over HUF 2.6 bln last year, while its pre-tax profits rose from around HUF 100 mln to over HUF 250 mln.

Sweet soft drinks under the Márka brand became popular in the 1970s and 1980s, before more or less disappearing following the change of political regime. The current family-owned enterprise has supplied one of the most ubiquitous brands of the communist era to stores since buying the brand name in 2007.

The new factory is expected to create 50 new jobs, according to Népszabadság, with an expected annual capacity of 55 million two-liter bottles