Daniel Sârbu – From circumstance to vision: building excellence in refrigeration and infrastructure

Daniel Sârbu, General Manager of Tassid Holding and Medussa LSC, shares his entrepreneurial journey, the defining moments that reshaped his direction, and his vision of building a Romanian company of European scale in the refrigeration industry.

Daniel Sârbu is the General Manager of both Tassid Holding and Medussa LSC. In the first company, he is co-founder alongside his wife, Dorina Sârbu; in the second, he is the sole founder and shareholder. Tassid Holding is an authorized refrigeration company, while Medussa LSC specializes in more complex construction works, specifically preventing accidental rockfalls onto roads through scaling works, installation of mesh, barriers, and similar solutions. Both companies have over 10 years of activity.

He was born in the city of Brăila, raised in Slobozia (Ialomița) due to his parents’ jobs, and shaped professionally in Western Europe, more precisely in Italy, from where he returned after seven years. That was the moment he chose Sibiu as his new home. After completing his high school studies at Liceul Mihai Eminescu, qualifying as a mechanical locksmith, in 2016 he decided to study Communication and Public Relations at ULBS. In 2019, he graduated with his degree. He believes that knowing how to communicate is more important than anything else.

Today, at 45 years old, he is the father of two young boys (4 and 7 years old). His entrepreneurial journey began in September 2008. With no clear idea of what he was doing, he only knew that he had to do something—somehow—to work for himself. He survived, fought, and learned—perhaps at too high a cost—how to become an entrepreneur. But he would not change a thing.

He comes from a large family with four siblings, two girls and two boys. He himself was an accident, as he was not planned, which is why there is a decade between him and his eldest sister. The other siblings are one year apart from each other. He was saved by Ceaușescu’s decree that banned abortion. He believes he is the sum of accidents or circumstances, so to speak.

C&B: If we were to look at a narrative thread of your career, what were the key moments that defined you?

Daniel: Only now am I beginning to realize what the key moments of the past 18 years have been.

There was the moment when I accidentally entered the cleaning services field (a sector I remained in until 2025, when I sold the company that was still providing those services). I say accidentally because that is truly how it happened. I was the president of the homeowners’ association in the building where I lived (a role I took on simply because, among all the neighbors, I had the most free time), and the administrator suggested that I add a cleaning activity code to my rent-a-car company and hire the cleaning staff myself, who were being paid by the association. I still have the notebook where I kept track of the accounts and the money I had to add from my own pocket each month in order to pay all the bills.

Another defining moment was in 2015, when the landline phone rang at the company. I remember that moment even today. With the help of a local rope-access company, we had carried out some façade surface cleaning works and posted them on Facebook for advertising. On the other end of the line, a voice introduced itself and then asked if we also did slope scaling works. Considering that he mentioned he was calling from DRDP Iași (Regional Directorate of Roads and Bridges), I answered without hesitation: YES. I had never heard the term before. But in my mind, something had always told me how valuable public contracts could be. I had that belief because I used to read about those executing road works. Since it was related to roads and also connected to our experience with rope-access technicians, I answered without hesitation.

A few months and two Nurofen Forte tablets later, I won my first tender for this type of work. I remember that I only had enough money for one night of accommodation when I went to the tender (it required physical presence and a sealed envelope), so I had to sleep in my car before starting the eight-hour drive home. Today, Medussa LSC exists and does exactly that. I proudly say that in 10 years we have cleaned around one million square meters of mountainside rock (the procedure is called scaling and comes from the fact that the main tool is a metal bar). And there is something else very important: the people. The vast majority of them have been with us since we started in 2015.

The last and most important moment is relatively recent, in December 2022, three or four days before Christmas. As every year, I was loading the car to go to my parents’ home in Brăila County for the holidays. In short, during a two- or three-minute call, I received the news that starting the following March, a series of cleaning and related services contracted with our main client at the time would disappear. With that call, over 40% of my business vanished. It was a shock that left me speechless for the next six hours of driving.

The next day, I held a video call with the team at that time. I told them that this was probably the best thing that could have happened to us and that this kick would finally set us in motion. It may sound unrealistic, but that was the conclusion I reached then and still stand by today. And it proved true. Because in March 2023, that same client completely changed our destiny—something both my team and I are grateful for today.

What they did was tell us that they could somehow manage the cleaning services, but they needed someone to carry out periodic preventive maintenance (they still call it cleaning 😊) on refrigerated display cases and freezer rooms. I asked them for the technical specifications so we could understand what it involved. That was when I saw the new opportunity I had referred to in the December call with the team. I said, let’s see what we are capable of—and we succeeded. Then they asked us to try refurbishing accessories for such display cases. We accepted again.

Today, Tassid Holding is a company offering complete services in design, execution, trade, and repair services in the refrigeration industry, with tens of thousands of hours of preventive and corrective maintenance for refrigerated display cases, freezer rooms, and other refrigeration equipment and units. Not to mention the thousands of square meters of accessories refurbished in these three years of activity in the new field.

C&B: What personal or professional context pushed you toward entrepreneurship?

Daniel: First of all, it is worth mentioning that I have had entrepreneurship on my mind since I was a teenager. I still have notebooks where I wrote what could generously be called business plans at the age of 14. I was always stressed whenever I walked past the building notice board and saw that we were behind on maintenance payments.

Then came the time when Romanians were migrating in large numbers, and I aligned myself with that trend, forced by circumstances. In Italy, a former colleague who handled our salaries told me that “I am not made to work for someone less capable than me.” To this day, I do not know what truly prompted her to say that. Perhaps because I was constantly coming up with ideas about how to improve the harsh work processes—we were processing raw materials, specifically cowhide. As harsh as it may sound, I am just quoting her. And I worked very hard until about four years ago, when I had accumulated enough experience to truly become an entrepreneur.

C&B: Is there a dream or ambition that has always guided you, regardless of obstacles?

Daniel: Yes. To leave behind a company of at least European scale in this country. A company that will feel at home in every European country. To be the first option when it comes to refrigeration. To have employees so well paid that a visitor could not tell, from the cars in our parking lot, who is the employer and who is the employee.

C&B: What were you like at the beginning of your journey, and how do you feel you have transformed?

Daniel: Like someone walking through fog—sometimes speeding recklessly, other times moving with fear. Today I know what I have to do, where I am heading, and more importantly, all my employees, partners, and clients know it too. We all know what we do and why we do it. I believe such clarity is the key to earned success—success that will seem overnight to many.

What am I like today? Calmer, more prepared, more determined, more informed, with strategy and short- and medium-term plans. I feel comfortable in this segment of the industry that chose me. A segment I intend to study for at least another decade. I deviate less from direction, and I can say that I have lost quite a lot of money for life to teach me lessons of immeasurable value. I listen and I read. Eighteen years ago, I only worked, talked, and read very little. I recommend “Pollyanna,” a small book that changed my perspective on happiness.

C&B: If we met your team or collaborators, what do you think they would say about you?

Daniel: Good question. I like to believe they light candles for me on the 7th 😊. I realize they trust that I will do what is necessary when they need me. That I represent them with honor and pride. And I hope they adopt our vision as fully as possible—to be the first option in refrigeration, in all European countries, as I have said before.

They would probably say I am curious, that I do not take life too seriously, but that they can rely on me. It is a difficult question because it forces me to speculate, and I have a line from a movie: “Don’t speculate if you’re not a researcher.”

C&B: What is the most important decision you made that changed your trajectory?

Daniel: To give up the multitude of services and specialize in something specific—and there, to be the best. When we realized that the refrigeration industry suited us best, that we liked it and could give our very best here. Progress is neither linear nor painless, but we constantly learn and continuously raise our quality standards. We have a motto that binds us and that we take very seriously: “We Ensure Food Safety.”

C&B: How would you describe Tassid today, in a few words, to someone hearing about it for the first time?

Daniel: Tassid Holding specializes in design, execution, trade, and preventive and corrective services in the refrigeration industry. In three years, it has gained experience in almost everything encountered in this field: climate chambers, HVAC systems, air conditioning, refrigerated display cases, cold rooms, design, execution, sales of professional or hobby equipment, including refurbishment and production of accessories for refrigerated display cases. It is also a company with a store offering the general public over 15,000 products in the horeca, industrial, and commercial ranges.

C&B: What differentiates Tassid from other initiatives in the same market segment?

Daniel: Proactivity and after-sales service. At Tassid, we focus on proper equipment maintenance—preventive maintenance is the correct term. We do not base our revenues on repair interventions. We provide any type of intervention, but once we reach a client, our first recommendation is constant monitoring of the equipment that generates their income and periodic maintenance.

Our mission is to eliminate the headache caused by equipment breakdowns, which usually happen at the most inconvenient times. We understood that we must help the client focus on what makes them money, not on firefighting micro-management that consumes time, money, and creates stress.

Preventive maintenance has multiple equally important roles: reducing electricity consumption, extending equipment lifespan (which is expensive to acquire), successfully passing surprise inspections by authorities, complying with European environmental standards, and protecting the health of employees who breathe the air circulated by these systems—whether in offices, factories, commercial spaces, or even residential areas.

As far as I know, we currently operate the only workshop in Romania dedicated to refurbishing metal accessories for refrigerated display cases. Another major advantage is that through our technicians and collaborators, we cover any need nationwide. Mobility and flexibility. We travel throughout the country and even work night shifts so as not to interfere with our clients’ operations.

C&B: What does a typical day look like for you now, and what moments bring you the most satisfaction?

Daniel: Drinking coffee with my colleagues, discussing what happened and what is coming next. Talking about how a situation was resolved or what new technology has appeared. I enjoy spending time with them; however, I have trained them to politely tell me to go away if I interfere with their work. I learned from others who have walked this path before that people need answers to WHAT and WHY—not HOW. That is their job.

It has been and still is difficult for me, but since I have disciplined myself in this regard, it feels like I discovered engine oil—the whole thing runs smoothly.

C&B: What values or principles guide you in what you do, and how do you apply them daily?

Daniel: The truth is the easiest thing to remember. Respect is earned. We hire character first and foremost. People are the most important. I do not have a crystal ball to know what you are thinking, so speak up. Failure is mine; success belongs to the team. The way I apply them is simply my way of being.

C&B: How did the idea of Tassid appear, and what real market problem did you want to solve when you started?

Daniel: Tassid was a wordplay and, at that time, as can be understood now, it was meant to solve my dissatisfaction with my personal and financial situation. In 2008, when I had just returned to the country and had no idea what I would do, I remember sitting at a terrace in Piața Mare with friends who were talking about the inconveniences tourists faced when visiting Sibiu and Romania. There were not enough cars available for rent. So I decided to start a rent-a-car business, which I gave up in 2014. I wish the answer were more inspirational, but the truth is the easiest thing to remember.

C&B: Is there a difficult moment or failure that redefined the way you lead the business?

Daniel: I believe I have already answered this point. It refers to December 2022, which I detailed earlier. Another difficult moment was juggling the company’s liquidity needs. It was practically a crisis. This need arose from two reasons: first, growth—which is good—and second, debts that are slowly being covered from past activity.

Liquidity is a topic in itself. But yes, both the 2022 moment and the liquidity crisis redefined the way I manage the business.

Daniel Sârbu’s story is not about overnight success, but about clarity built over time, bold decisions, and the courage to turn crises into opportunities.