The Dramov family has been developing cosmetics business in Bulgaria for over 30 years and, with the company KAMKO, they rank the country among the leading producers of white cosmetics in Europe.
The Beginning – an inspiring love story
In the early 1990s, Bulgaria was in the midst of a transition and an uncertain future. For the young entrepreneur Hristo Dramov and his wife Kamila, this was not a time for fear, but for courage. In 1991, Hristo founded a company and named it after the pet name of his beloved in the Czech Republic – Kami, namely KAMKO.
Their love story and their three children – Ivo, Stanislav and Victoria – are the main driving force of the company to this day. Kami is a Czech woman who, driven by love, left golden Prague and the prestigious company PwC (PricewaterhouseCoopers) to move to Bulgaria and be by Hristo’s side in his bold undertaking – building the family company KAMKO.
Their values and example are the strongest pillar of the company's global success today. The rest is a story that we will be happy to tell you in the following lines.
First steps in business and the big breakthrough with Unilever.
The company's history begins with coffee trading, when young Hristo Dramov and his close friend, with whom he works together, were still students. Hristo is the embodiment of a strong spirit and entrepreneurship, which leads him and KAMKO forward in every endeavor. At the beginning, what matters is not the product he starts with, but his thirst for success and the vision to create something bigger, which will last in time and will bring value for generations. Soon, his strong commercial acumen and passion for perfumes reorient the company's activities towards perfumery trading. Not long after, the first huge success comes - KAMKO signs a contract with Unilever and becomes the official distributor of the cosmetic giant for Bulgaria. The contract was concluded with a clear period of two years, from 1993 to 1995, until Unilever makes a direct entry into the market. This breakthrough leaves a lasting mark and teaches the family to build distribution, think on a scale and successfully establish brands. With this comes the determination to stay in this business and continue to grow. Over time, they distribute dozens of brands in our country and become one of the first importers of the famous Korean cosmetics.
The first shock – the crisis of 1997
"In the early 90s, the market was easy. Whatever product you had, you managed to sell it quickly. The point was to have the product, and the challenge was finding it," says Hristo Dramov, sharing that it was precisely after this blessed period that the most severe crisis that their business went through followed. "In 1997, the price of the dollar against the lev reached such levels that it no longer made sense to sell anything, because then we could not buy it. We had to stop our activities for a short time and for a while we supported the company through our Czech company," says Hristo. Today, he sees the difficulties overcome then as a valuable lesson in flexibility, adaptation and survival, which he continues to apply in his work. "Over the years, we have had to remodel our business many times. In a dynamic segment like the cosmetics industry, being as flexible and adaptable as possible is often a matter of survival," he shares. It is this flexibility and skillful management through personal example that has grown the company from a small family business to a global player on 6 continents in over 65 countries around the world.
Victoria Beauty – the first own brands
In the mid-90s, the company faced another challenge – after establishing a major Polish perfume brand in our country, their distribution was suddenly taken away. Following the maxim of flexibility in dealing with problems, the company took steps in the production and establishment of its first own brand – Victoria Beauty.
And here the strong family presence is felt – the brand is named after Victoria – the little daughter of Hristo and Kami, who was still a child at the time.
The family business saw an empty market niche for quality hair care products in the low price segment and started producing shampoos. Soon after, however, the international giants in the segment revised their market strategy and positioned their products from the mid- to low price segment. This led KAMKO to also reorient itself and focus on producing other types of products.
"You can't compete with L'Oreal and Nivea on the level of marketing budgets. Your chance is to offer a good, different niche product, with an excellent price-quality ratio , " comments Kamila Dramova, adding that for them, such successful products have been shampoo dyes and various types of hair stylers. According to her, cosmetics, like fashion, are subject to trends, and their development moves in parallel with that of the raw materials themselves. As an example, she gives the use of argan oil, which was an absolute hit for several years, but is currently being replaced by more current ingredients. There are also clearly expressed trends in the way products are applied. If 20 years ago the universal synonym for facial care was face cream, today there is an increasing emphasis on serums and a multi-step routine.
KAMKO buys the "Badeshte" plant and establishes a factory
In 2010, KAMKO bought the municipal company "Badeshte" and began building a cosmetics factory. "KAMKO bought a future," some media outlets wrote, Hristo shares with a smile.
Over 2 million happy snails
Following the dynamics of the market, the product range of KAMKO is constantly expanding and the products are becoming more and more innovative. The company creates a series of products with snail mucus, which have impressive benefits for the skin and make the Victoria Beauty brand the leader of snail cosmetics in Eastern Europe. The products from the series affect the regeneration, elasticity and hydration of the skin. At the beginning, the company worked with imported raw materials, which it purchased from France. However, in 2010, the next step was taken – the first Bulgarian farm for organic snail farming was built. The Dramov family is motivated by the prospect of closing the production cycle, but their main goal is the desire to guarantee constant quality of the raw material, which turns out to be impossible when they are dependent on external suppliers.
“You could say that today we are also cattle breeders. We have about 2 million heads of small cattle on our farm near Rakovski,” says Hristo Dramov with a laugh. The company is investing in a base that includes a “maternity ward” for its own small snails, from which mucus is extracted in a humane, painless way. Although there are numerous inquiries from both the cosmetics and food industries, KAMKO does not sell either the mucus or the snails.
“We want to be recognized as a company that produces high-quality cosmetics with snail mucus, not as a snail farm. Our business philosophy is not to sell raw materials, but a final product with added value,” says Ivo Dramov, the eldest son who is responsible for foreign markets. “The company philosophy is for a circular economy in cosmetics, and this is deeply rooted in our business practices,” Ivo adds.
Strong together – from Plovdiv to Cape Town, Amazon and beyond
Today, KAMKO has a global footprint in over 65 countries on 6 continents and produces for more than 50 brands, some of which are leading European drugstores. Interestingly, besides Europe, some of the company's largest foreign markets are currently South Africa and Australia.
The company is extremely well represented throughout the Balkan region, being among the leaders in our neighboring markets in some segments, and Victoria Beauty snail products are extremely well received in the Middle East. The company develops three types of activity – production for foreign brands, own brands and distribution. Production occupies a primary place, followed by the company's six own brands, including the first – Victoria Beauty, the globally recognized brand Skincyclopedia, the Aristea perfume lines and the professional quality accessories brand Standelli.
Among the notable successes in KAMKO's modern history is the contract to produce its own brand on the world's largest online platform Amazon. The deal with billionaire Jeff Bezos' company was led by Ivo Dramov, who joined the family company after graduating from a business university in Canada and gaining experience in a prestigious consulting company. In 2023, Ivo was selected in the prestigious Forbes ranking - "30 under 30". He takes responsibility for the expansion of foreign markets and relations with international partners. With Ivo on board, in addition to new partnerships, KAMKO can also boast of enormous financial growth. The company's turnover has seen impressive development. The numbers and brands are only the external image of something much deeper - the philosophy of care and well-being.
According to Hristo Dramov, their greatest success in their work is that we succeed together, and the biggest goal is for KAMKO to last for generations to come.
Family continuity and vision for generations to come
Hristo Dramov says with a smile: "You can find us in every Bulgarian bathhouse. With at least one product." Behind this phrase lies a philosophy of sustainability and accessibility, as well as a vision of growth that knows no bounds.
"Our development potential is abroad. We are already well positioned in Bulgaria and although there is always room for improvement, we have almost fully embraced the potential of our domestic market. There is almost no retail chain or pharmacy where we are not present," shares Hristo Dramov's views on business development. "When you work well with someone and receive a fair treatment, you have to protect it and invest in your relationship. This investment pays off sooner or later," adds his son Ivo.
After graduating from a prestigious university in Canada and a career in one of the world's largest consulting companies, Ivo chose to return to Plovdiv - strategically, consciously, as part of a shared family vision. "My parents and I believed that before I joined the family business, I should gain experience outside. Experience is the best university," he says.
After him, the other two children – Stanislav and Victoria – gradually entered the company. Stanislav followed in his brother’s footsteps – studying abroad and working in prestigious international companies. In 2025, he officially became part of the team to invest the acquired experience in the family company. This is a natural continuation of the mission to build sustainable family continuity.
The youngest of the three children – Victoria, is the artistic soul of the family. She graduated with a degree in Fashion Business in France and started working at the legendary fashion house Karl Lagerfeld. Although still very young, she is already involved in KAMKO with responsibility for the brands’ presence on social networks. The family company is also joined by Nona Dramova, Ivo’s wife, who, after completing her master’s degree in Germany and starting her professional career there, decided to return to Bulgaria and become actively involved in the marketing development of KAMKO in Bulgaria and abroad.
"You just think about the next generation. You work to make it last. For me, this is the most valuable thing and brings the true sense of meaning and creativity from our work," beautifully summarizes Hristo Dramov.
We are jumping high – new factory, new horizons
Every sustainable development comes with the need for a new step forward. For KAMKO, this step is not just a logistical or technological leap – it is a symbol of the vision for the future. The company’s current factory, located on 8,000 square meters, is already an example of an efficient organization: a modernized production facility, its own warehouse, laboratory, microbiological unit and an integrated SAP HANA system. It employs nearly 250 people – experts, engineers, technologists and specialists who are behind every formula, every packaging and every new idea. Some of the employees have been with KAMKO since the beginning in the 90s.
However, the company's aspiration is to create, not just to maintain. That is why the new step is ambitious – a new factory is planned in Plovdiv, this time on a 30,000 square meter site. This will open up opportunities for creating an even more modern, automated and sustainable production hub. With an eye on the future and with even greater responsibility towards quality, people and the environment, KAMKO is preparing for a new chapter in its history. Exciting years await us.
A family that builds a future
The Dramovi family is more than an owner – it is the spirit, the backbone and the pulse of KAMKO. The company's history is an example that even in harsh times, with love, integrity and vision you can create not just a product, but trust. Not just success, but meaning that deepens across generations.
Charity
Well-being and education go hand in hand, so the production of quality cosmetics does not exhaust our commitment to society. With its responsibility to the education of future healthy generations, the company became one of the founders of the children's and youth volleyball club Victoria Volley.
In its history, the club has already won numerous prestigious awards and has produced significant players for the Bulgarian national volleyball team. At the school, we have set ourselves the goal of creating harmonious individuals – players who skillfully combine the training process with academic activities.