A second company is buying land in Sliven's industrial park. Sugarland EOOD is taking almost 5,000 square metres in the city's industrial zone, the Sliven mayor's office says. Mayor Stefan Radev signed the sale contract with the firm.

The plot measures 4,976 square metres and costs 154,500 euros, plus VAT. Sugarland says it plans to invest 700,000 euros at first, also plus VAT.

The company has agreed to create at least 10 jobs and keep them for five years. Under the contract, the investment must go ahead, and the land must keep its current use.

The deal lays out a timeline. Sugarland must hand in its building plans to the council within six months of signing, and start work within 12 months. The building must be finished and in use within 36 months, with the whole investment wrapped up within 40 months.

Sugarland EOOD is Bulgaria's official importer of branded chocolate, biscuits, sweets, soft drinks and other goods.

The park's first investor was Bolid OOD, a company from Stara Zagora with warehouses in Haskovo, Stara Zagora and Sofia.

Sliven's industrial park stands next to Barshen airport and opened this April. It was built with EU money from the NextGenerationEU fund, under Bulgaria's national recovery and resilience plan.