NetRom’s campus development

As loyal Post Craiova readers already know, we are far from standing still in Romania. I’d like to give you an Campus development update from Craiova, where we’re working hard to create state-of-the-art office spaces and workstations for our ever-growing team of engineers.

It’s quite a remarkable story how a software company like NetRom came to acquire a real estate portfolio and has continued to expand it under its own management to this day.

First, the current status: we have approximately 16,000m² of office space, either operational or under construction, on over 3.5 hectares of our own land. The latest 1,400m² was completed just a few weeks ago and offers some of the best spots in our company, overlooking a large inner garden with a (future) Koi pond.

Looking back, our Campus project actually began shortly after NetRom was founded in 1999. At that time, we purchased our first building – or rather, an apartment – on the ground floor of a four-story block. We made the purchase because we wanted to improve the working conditions for our employees, and we couldn’t come to an agreement with the landlord. Immediately after the purchase, we renovated every square centimeter of the floor, walls, and ceiling, as well as (of course) the entire electrical and plumbing systems.

We were growing rapidly, and a year later we purchased the property next door, renovating it for our own use as well. This quickly led to acquiring more properties – first the immediate neighbors, then those further down the block. Eventually, we owned four interconnected buildings spanning over 150 meters of frontage. While it was a significant expansion, the layout proved inefficient, and we frequently faced issues with leaks from the private apartments above.

In 2011, aided by the significant impact of the financial crisis on the Romanian real estate market, we had the opportunity to purchase a brand-new hotel under construction. A total of 5,000 m² on an equally large plot of land. After extensive renovations, we thought we had finally secured enough space for our operations, but within three years, we were once again running out of room. At that point, we added a 900 m² wing, built an additional floor on the property, and included a company restaurant.

The biggest step came in 2017 when we had the opportunity to purchase an adjacent three-hectare plot of land. It was a significant investment. Today, two-thirds of that plot is filled with modern, high-end office buildings, sports fields, a car wash, and a large inner garden.

The great thing is that we manage to align the growth of our software organization with the creation of the necessary workspaces. We do this by building in-house. One main contractor for the structural work, and then many dozens of subcontractors for the finishing touches. This comes with its challenges, but thanks to extensive experience, it’s also very enjoyable and incredibly rewarding. Over the years, we have built a large network of local suppliers who now understand our needs with just half a word. Once again, investing in long-term relationships proves to be worthwhile.

The philosophy behind our campus in the making is the idea that we want to be a great employer, a place where engineers are eager to work. We are building an inspiring environment where great achievements can be made. A place where hard work is done, but where there is also space for relaxation, with game rooms, free meals, sports fields, and unmatched training and development opportunities.

Taking care of and providing relaxation may sound soft, but the logic behind it is firm. Many of our engineers put their heart and soul into projects for NetRom and its clients. The work ethic is immense, and so I find it logical that we try to support our employees with inspiring conditions and time-saving facilities.

Perhaps due to this approach, the campus has become a real magnet in terms of recruitment. Not only do we attract a lot of local IT talent, but we also manage to retain them for an incredibly long time. On average, 12 years! This continuity is highly valuable because the long-term relationships with NetRom engineers directly benefit the long-term relationships with our clients. They too stay with NetRom for an average of 11 years. When you think about it, the continuous expansion of our real estate in Romania is actually one big and successful HR project. After all, we are not real estate developers, but a software company.

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