The Donalam Târgoviște steel plant has a long and important history within Romania’s steel industry.

Established in 1969 and developed during the 1970s as the Combinatul de Oțeluri Speciale (COS) Târgoviște, the plant became one of the country´s leading producers of special steels, billets, wire rod, and rolled products for industrial applications. During the communist period, it played a strategic role in supplying steel for engineering, machinery manufacturing, and infrastructure projects.

Following Romania’s transition to a market economy, the plant underwent major ownership changes. In 2002, COS Târgoviște was privatized and acquired by the Russian Mechel Group. Although significant production capacities were maintained, the company faced increasing market pressures, leading to insolvency in 2013 and a gradual decline in operations. Production eventually ceased in 2019, and the company later entered bankruptcy proceedings.

A new chapter began in 2022 when the Italian AFV Beltrame Group acquired the plant’s functional production assets. Already present in Romania through Donalam Călărași, Beltrame launched an ambitious modernization program aimed at restoring Târgoviște as a competitive European steel producer.