Business ·
Arsenal starts new nitrocellulose line in Kazanlak
Arsenal opened an automated nitrocellulose line on Thursday, part of a programme worth over EUR 300m. Industrial output in August was 0.7% above July but 5.4% below a year earlier.
Total of projects with stated value192.2EUR m
New entries since 9 Oct morning2
Industrial output Aug 2026, year on year−5.4% −5.40 %
New jobs (stated)565
Defence manufacturer Arsenal in Kazanlak (Stara Zagora province) commissioned a new, fully automated nitrocellulose line on Thursday (8 October). Nitrocellulose is a basic ingredient of gunpowder. According to the ministry, it is part of the company's investment programme of over EUR 300m. The cost of the line alone, its capacity and the number of new jobs were not given.
Catch-up item: on 7 October the Council of Ministers added Karash Invest, which plans a gunpowder plant near Smyadovo (Shumen province), to the list of strategic sites important to national security. No amount or job figure was given. We found no new job cuts with specific figures in Bulgaria.
Data from the statistics office NSI on 9 October: industrial output in August was 0.7% higher than in July (seasonally adjusted) but 5.4% lower than in August 2025. In July the annual fall had been 6.8%. Energy rose 42.4% year on year, mining fell 54.1%. Construction output was 4.2% higher than a year earlier.
The total of projects with a stated value in the table stays at EUR 192.2m: Arsenal's programme (over EUR 300m) is not counted, because the cost of the new line itself is unclear. Announced new jobs: unchanged at 565.
| Region | Company / project | Sector | Amount (EUR m) | Jobs (− = cuts) | Status / date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stara Zagora (Kazanlak) | Arsenal AD – new automated nitrocellulose line (part of a programme of over EUR 300m) | Defence | – | – | NEW: opened 8 Oct 2026, reported 9 Oct; whole programme over EUR 300m (not in total – cost of the line not given); no job figure |
| Shumen (near Smyadovo) | Karash Invest – planned gunpowder plant, added to list of strategic sites | Defence | – | – | ADDED: Council of Ministers decision of 7 Oct 2026; amount and jobs not stated |
| Plovdiv (Krumovo village) | Senora (NL4YOU) – production and trade base with showroom | Clothing / fashion | – | 50 | Reported 23 Sep 2026; nearly EUR 2m (approximate, not in total); construction from autumn 2026 |
| Burgas (Burgas Industrial Park, phase 2) | Park phase 2 (c. 60 ha): 8 investors, 2 already building | Industrial park / infrastructure | – | – | Reported 29 Sep 2026; infrastructure nearly EUR 20m (EU recovery plan); phase 1 has over 1,000 jobs |
| Burgas / Karlovo (Plovdiv province) | Rheinmetall – gunpowder and 155mm ammunition plants | Defence | – | – | Per Mediapool (5 Oct 2026) gunpowder plant moves to Burgas; per Valentin Radev unclear how far the ammunition plant near Karlovo will go ahead (c. 1,000 jobs expected there) |
| Sliven (industrial park) | Sugarland – warehouse and trade base (4,976 m² plot) | Food and drinks distribution | 0.7 | 10 | Reported 2 Oct 2026; construction to start within 12 months, completion within 36 |
| Nationwide | Textile, clothing and leather industry (BATOK) – firms cutting staff, closing | Textiles and clothing | – | – | Letter to PM and 8 ministers (2 Oct 2026), reported again 5 Oct 2026; no specific figures |
| Veliko Tarnovo (Lyaskovets) | Armako Industries – production expansion | Metal and plastic parts | 50.0 | – | Planned, announced 2 Oct 2026 (over EUR 50m) |
| Dobrich | Magic Flame – Klas Olio: sunflower oil and meal plant | Food processing | 20.0 | 60 | Opened 25 Sep 2026; 60 jobs (other report: 100) |
| Ruse | Bulmarket Group – LVZ industrial park (over EUR 60m; over 210 staff) | Rail equipment | 60.0 | 210 | Opened 1 Oct 2026 |
| Kardzhali | VESS Modules – solar module plant (1 GW/year) | Solar manufacturing | 15.0 | 200 | Opened 1 Oct 2026; c. 300 jobs at full capacity |
| Plovdiv (Trakia Zone, Tsaratsovo) | Advanced Medical Care – saline solutions and medical supplies | Medical products | 7.0 | 35 | Construction began 8 Sep 2026; operations 2027 |
| Plovdiv (Maritsa zone, Radinovo) | ZS Europe – expansion, aluminium car parts (total to date) | Automotive parts | 17.5 | – | Expansion opened 8 Sep 2026 |
| Sofia | Healthy Bars – new protein-bar plant | Food | 22.0 | – | Under construction, completion in coming months (18 Sep 2026) |
| Tenevo (Yambol province) | Renalfa IPP & Eurowind – 242 MWp solar + 311 MW battery storage | Energy | – | – | Commissioned 30 Sep 2026 |
| Sofia | Bosch – closure of Sofia engineering centre | Automotive R&D | – | −670 | Announced 30 Jun 2026; c. 400 jobs in 2026, rest by mid-2027 |
| Plovdiv (Radinovo) | Viking Life-Saving Equipment – end of production (lifeboats, rafts) | Marine equipment | – | −57 | Stopped (reported 1 Sep 2026), production moves to Thailand; office (200+ staff) stays |
| Indicator | vs prior month (%, seasonally adj.) | vs year earlier (%, calendar adj.) | Published |
|---|---|---|---|
| Industrial production, August 2026 – NEW | +0.7 % | −5.4 % | 9 Oct 2026 |
| – manufacturing, August 2026 | +0.8 % | −6.1 % | 9 Oct 2026 |
| – energy (power, heat, gas), August 2026 | +10.7 % | +42.4 % | 9 Oct 2026 |
| – mining and quarrying, August 2026 | −19.7 % | −54.1 % | 9 Oct 2026 |
| Industrial production, July 2026 | −3.0 % | −6.8 % | 9 Oct 2026 (per BTA) |
| Construction output, August 2026 – NEW | +0.8 % | +4.2 % | 9 Oct 2026 |
| Retail sales, August 2026 (comparable prices) | +0.3 % | +5.9 % | 7 Oct 2026 |
| Region | Registered, August 2026 (Employment Agency) | Labour Force Survey 2025 (NSI) |
|---|---|---|
| Bulgaria | 5.47 | 3.5 |
| Stara Zagora | 4.93 | – |
| Dobrich | 4.20 | – |
| Veliko Tarnovo (labour office area) | 4.00 | – |
For information only, not investment advice. Prices as of the time stated, not real-time quotes.
Sources
- BTA – New Nitrocellulose Plant at Arsenal (9.10.2026, 10:45)
- 24 Chasa – Pulew eröffnet Nitrozellulose-Anlage bei Arsenal (9.10.2026)
- News.bg – Neue Nitrozellulose-Anlage bei Arsenal (9.10.2026)
- Dir.bg – Arsenal investiert über 300 Mio. Euro (9.10.2026)
- novini247 – Pulew bei Arsenal, Eröffnung „gestern“ (9.10.2026)
- Standart – Über 300 Mio. Investitionen bei Arsenal (9.10.2026)
- ShumenOnline – Karash Invest in Liste strategischer Objekte (7.10.2026)
- Novinite – Gunpowder plant near Smyadovo approved (8.10.2026)
- BTA – Industrieproduktion August 2026: −5,4 % J/J, +0,7 % M/M (9.10.2026, 11:21)
- BTA – Bauproduktion August 2026: +4,2 % J/J (9.10.2026, 11:33)
- Investor.bg – Industrieproduktion August (9.10.2026)
- NSI – Pressemitteilungen: Einzelhandelsumsatz August 2026 +0,3 % zum Vormonat (7.10.2026)
- BTA – Einzelhandelsumsatz August 2026: +0,3 % M/M, +5,9 % J/J (NSI, 7.10.2026, 11:21)
- Plovdiv24 – Senora/NL4YOU: knapp 2 Mio. Euro, mind. 50 Stellen, Krumowo (23.9.2026)
- Focus – Industriepark Burgas: über 1000 Stellen, Phase 2 mit 8 Investoren (29.9.2026)
- Investor.bg – Automotive und Rüstung setzen am stärksten auf Roboter (7.10.2026)
- Mediapool – Fragen um das Rheinmetall-Werk; Munitionswerk bleibt bei Karlowo (5.10.2026)
- Plovdiv24 – Textilbranche: Firmen bauen ab und schließen (5.10.2026)
- Focus – BATOK-Brief an Premier und 8 Minister (2.10.2026)
- Blitz – Näherei-Firmen bauen ab und schließen (3.10.2026)
- Standart – Sugarland, Industriepark Sliwen, 700.000 Euro (2.10.2026)
- BTA – Pulew: Rheinmetall-Werk binnen 30 Monaten (4.10.2026)
- BTA – Registrierte Arbeitslosigkeit August 2026: 5,47 % (17.9.2026)
- BTA – Weliko Tarnowo: Arbeitslosigkeit August 4 % (16.9.2026)
- KarlovoPress – Pulew: Rheinmetall-Werk binnen 30 Monaten (5.10.2026)
- Focus – Pulew: neues Gelände bei Burgas für Rheinmetall (2.10.2026)
- Burgasnews – Pulverwerk Rheinmetall bei Burgas (4.10.2026)
- Mediapool – Kabinett verlegt Rheinmetall-Werk nach Burgas (2.10.2026)
- Standart – Armako Industries Ljaskowez (3.10.2026)
- Plovdiv24 – Viking stellt Fertigung bei Plowdiw ein (1.9.2026)
- Economic.bg – Direktinvestitionen Jan.–Juli 2026: 3,45 Mrd. Euro, BNB (18.9.2026)
- Standart – VESS Modules Kardschali, ca. 200 Stellen (2.10.2026)
- Standart – Bulmarket LVZ Russe (2.10.2026)
- Fakti.bg – Armako Industries, über 50 Mio. Euro (2.10.2026)
- RegNews – Pulew bei Armako in Ljaskowez (2.10.2026)
- Standart – Programm für Industriezonen im Haushalt 2027 (2.10.2026)
- DBR – Armako Ljaskowez (3.10.2026)
- 24 Chasa – Werk Magic Flame – Klas Olio, Dobritsch (25.9.2026)
- Novinite – Dobrich plant, 60 jobs (26.9.2026)
- DBR – Bosch stellt Ingenieurtätigkeit in Sofia ein, knapp 670 Stellen (30.6.2026)
- BTA – Bulmarket LVZ Ruse (1.10.2026)
- Money.bg – VESS Modules Kardzhali (1.10.2026)
- BTA – Saline plant near Plovdiv (8.9.2026)
- BTA – ZS Europe expansion (8.9.2026)
- SeeNews – Healthy Bars (18.9.2026)
- SeeNews – Renalfa/Eurowind Tenevo (30.9.2026)
- BTA – Rheinmetall project (2.10.2026)
- BTA – Stara Zagora unemployment August 2026
- BTA – Dobrich unemployment August 2026
- NSI – Arbeitskräfteerhebung 2025 (Bulgarien, 3,5 %)
- BTA – Bulgarien in der Eurozone (Eurostat August)
- novini247 – Direktinvestitionen Jan.–Juli 2026 (3,448 Mrd., davon 2,622 Mrd. reinvestiert; BNB vorläufig)
