Gruia Stoica,
President and Founder of GRAMPET Group
In an industry that many consider rigid, difficult to modernize, and dependent on state systems, GRAMPET Group has emerged as a company that is changing the rules of the game. The story of the group is, in essence, the story of Gruia Stoica — an entrepreneur who saw opportunities where others saw limitations, and who had the ambition to build the first multinational in the railway and logistics sector with 100% Romanian capital.
It all began with a clear vision: rail transport can once again become the backbone of the regional economy if it is treated with professionalism, investment, and courage. At a time when railway infrastructure in Eastern Europe was undergoing major transformations, Gruia Stoica understood that the future would not belong solely to those who transport goods, but to those capable of offering integrated, fast, and efficient logistics solutions. Thus, GRAMPET Group was born — a company that, in just a few decades, would become the largest private railway group and logistics operator in Central and South-Eastern Europe.
Today, GRAMPET Group comprises 20 companies operating in 10 European countries, more than 7,500 employees, 450 locomotives, 20,000 wagons, and over 15 million tons of cargo transported annually. Beyond these figures, however, the group’s success lies in its ability to connect people, industries, and markets, becoming a strategic partner for both regional and international trade.
The group’s journey has not been an easy one. Its development has taken place step by step, through consistent investments and a strategy built for the long term. Gruia Stoica quickly understood that, in order to become a regional leader, it is not enough to operate trains. It is essential to control the entire logistics chain — from traction and transport to the modernization of rolling stock and the development of industrial infrastructure.
This is how investments in factories, logistics terminals, and new technologies emerged. Today, the group owns four industrial units in Romania and Hungary and operates five logistics terminals located in strategic points, including at the borders with Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova. These facilities have become essential, particularly in the context of new trade flows and the need for regional connectivity during a period marked by economic and geopolitical realignments.
Under Gruia Stoica’s leadership, GRAMPET Group has not limited itself to expansion alone. The company has also focused on revitalizing the Romanian railway industry. In the group’s plants, trains are built, modernized, and transformed to meet new European standards of efficiency and sustainability. Each industrial project has been conceived not only as an economic investment, but also as a statement of confidence in the ability of Romanian industry to compete at a European level.
One of the most significant recent achievements is the launch of the LEON train — the first DMU railcar built entirely in Romania after more than 80 years. For Gruia Stoica, LEON represents not just an industrial product, but a symbol of the revival of a nearly forgotten Romanian tradition. The project came to life at Electroputere VFU Pașcani, a factory with a history spanning more than 155 years, where approximately 180 specialists contributed to the development of the new railcar.
LEON is CE-certified and ready to operate throughout Europe, proving that Romania can once again produce competitive railway technology. At the same time, the train is also an example of sustainability: it consumes approximately one liter of fuel per kilometer and can use fuels compliant with the EN 15940 standard, including HVO-100 — a solution that significantly reduces greenhouse gas emissions. In this way, LEON becomes the DMU railcar with the lowest environmental impact in Romania.
GRAMPET’s ambition to modernize rail transport is also reflected in projects dedicated to trains already in circulation. In Pașcani, the group is carrying out an extensive refurbishment program for the renowned “Blue Arrow” railcars. Dozens of units have already been modernized through complex overhauls aimed at extending the lifespan of the trains and improving passenger experience.
At the same time, within a project financed through the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR), the company is modernizing passenger coaches for both domestic and international transport. These are being
adapted to current European standards, equipped with facilities for people with disabilities, dedicated spaces for bicycles and skis, and enhanced comfort conditions. These investments go beyond simple technical repairs— they reflect a new philosophy regarding rail mobility and the real needs of passengers.
Another important pillar in the group’s development is the RELOC Craiova factory, where electric locomotives are restored and modernized. Here, GRAMPET implements complex reengineering projects and equips locomotives with modern asynchronous traction systems. The modernization of ELASMO locomotives, carried out with European funds, is one of the most relevant examples of how the company combines industrial tradition with cutting-edge technology.
At REVA Simeria, the group produces and modernizes freight wagons, tank cars, and containers, further strengthening its position in the logistics and industrial segment. In essence, GRAMPET Group has built a complete ecosystem, capable of serving the entire chain of railway transport and infrastructure.
However, the group’s most important resource remains the entrepreneurial vision of Gruia Stoica. Over the years, he has demonstrated that the development of a company is not only about economic expansion, but also about the ability to inspire people, build teams, and cultivate trust. In a sector long dominated by uncertainty and a lack of investment, GRAMPET chose to move forward, to invest, and to believe in the potential of the Romanian railway industry.
For the founder of GRAMPET Group, the development of an industry is not possible without the development of the people who shape it today and the generations who will carry it forward. That is why education and professional training represent an essential component of his entrepreneurial philosophy. In a field where specialists are increasingly difficult to find, Gruia Stoica understood that the future of rail transport depends directly on the preparation of young people.
This vision has materialized through projects with the academic environment, such as the collaboration with the National University of Science and Technology POLITEHNICA Bucharest. GRAMPET Group and its flagship company, Grup Feroviar Român, have supported the development of two modern laboratories dedicated to students, providing them with access to technologies and equipment relevant to real industry. The project represents a strategic investment in Romania’s future and in the training of a new generation of specialists capable of modernizing railway infrastructure and transport.
The same philosophy of investing in people is also reflected in the social activity carried out through the GRAMPET Foundation and the Toflea Foundation. While GRAMPET builds infrastructure and connects economies, the Toflea Foundation, established by Gruia Stoica in 2004, creates real opportunities for vulnerable communities and for hundreds of children who would otherwise have limited access to education.
The foundation’s main objective is to facilitate access to education for young people in the locality of Toflea and in the surrounding areas, most of whom come from disadvantaged communities. The results are remarkable. Thanks to sustained involvement over the past two decades, the locality of Toflea has become one of the few communities in Romania where the school dropout rate has reached zero, and young people complete at least high school education. It is a transformation built over time, demonstrating that consistent investment in education can fundamentally change the destiny of a community.
The same long-term, construction-oriented vision is also reflected in the development of GRAMPET Group. Ultimately, the story of GRAMPET Group is the story of transformation. From a local entrepreneurial project, the company has become a strategic European player. From an industry long perceived as outdated, Gruia Stoica and his team have built a modern, integrated, and competitive model capable of meeting the challenges of today’s economy. And beyond locomotives, infrastructure, and international expansion, GRAMPET Group has built something equally important: opportunities for people.
For Gruia Stoica, the railway industry has never been merely a field of activity, but a valuable legacy built by entire generations of specialists, engineers, and workers. That is precisely why his goal has been not only to preserve this tradition, but to carry it forward, to modernize it, and to build upon this solid foundation new opportunities for future generations.
In a world where sustainability, efficiency, and connectivity are becoming global priorities, rail transport is regaining its strategic importance. And GRAMPET Group demonstrates that Romania can play a significant role in this transformation. Through continuous investments, ambitious industrial projects, and a forward-looking strategy, the group continues to write one of the most powerful Romanian entrepreneurial stories of the past decades.
