The businessman Iliyan Filipov, who was killed this morning in Plovdiv, is one of the two founders and actual owners of one of the largest transport groups in Bulgaria - PIMK.
Filipov was shot in his home in Plovdiv. The crime was reported by his wife at around 1:00 a.m., and he was found dead on the spot. The investigation is being conducted by officers of the Regional Directorate of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in Plovdiv and the General Directorate of the "National Police". At present, the authorities have not officially announced a motive for the murder.
Behind the widely known name PIMK stands a business that began more than a quarter of a century ago and has grown far beyond its original activity.
From a small company to a large transport company
"PIMK" OOD was established in 2000 in Plovdiv. The company states on its official website that it carries out freight transport in Bulgaria, all of Europe and parts of Asia and Africa and is defined as the largest transport company in Bulgaria in terms of transport resources and transported cargo.
The founders of the business are Iliyan Filipov and Penko Nestorov.
However, its beginnings are not related to freight transport. According to Nestorov, quoted by Forbes and subsequently by other media, the two initially engaged in the production of snacks, intended for export to Albania and Kosovo. The problems with transportation led them to buy a used truck and gradually came to the conclusion that transportation had greater potential for development. Subsequently, production was discontinued and transportation became the main business.
Today, the official website of PIMK presents a significantly wider range of services and specialized transport equipment - tractors, hangers, semi-trailers, refrigerated trailers, tankers, livestock carriers, gondolas and dump trucks, as well as equipment for transporting construction and oversized cargo. The company offers international and domestic transport, logistics and forwarding, as well as related services.
Who actually owns PIMK
The corporate structure is more complex than the usual public definition that Filipov and Nestorov are the owners of "PIMK" Ltd.
According to public registry data, 99.97% of "PIMK" Ltd. belongs to "PIMK Holding Group" AD. Iliyan Filipov and Penko Nestorov also have minimal direct participations of 0.02%. The two businessmen are listed as the actual owners of the company.
"PIMK Holding Group" AD itself was established in 2012 and is owned equally by the two founders - 50% for Iliyan Filipov and 50% for Penko Nestorov. Filipov and Nestorov are also listed among the representatives of the holding.
Thus, de facto control over the main transport company passes through the holding, which the two partners own equally.
According to the latest available public registry and financial data of "PIMK" OOD has 1323 employees and heads a group of nine subsidiaries and four associated companies.
Transport remains the core
The main economic activity of "PIMK" OOD is freight road transport. The company carries out international transport and works with large logistics operators. On its official website, the company states that it has 86 forwarders, organized by intra-European transport directions, Turkey, Greece, Germany and Austria, France and Portugal, Spain and Bulgaria.
The group also develops rail freight transport through companies with the PIMK Rail brand, which extends the activity beyond traditional road transport.
Over the years, the business has expanded to construction, construction equipment and other related activities.
Among large Bulgarian companies
The scale of the main company is also visible from the financial and corporate data.
According to the summarized public financial statements in 2022, "PIMK" OOD was ranked 15th among companies in Bulgaria by revenue, first in the Plovdiv district and first among companies with the main activity of "freight road transport".
The latest available financial data are for 2024. They show a decrease in total revenues by 6.7% compared to the previous year, and accounting profit decreased by 66.5%. EBITDA shrank by 33%, while the company's total assets increased by 13.7%.
These indicators refer to "PIMK" Ltd., and not necessarily to the consolidated results of the entire group.
From transport to the "Hristo Botev" stadium
The name of Iliyan Filipov has become widely known in recent years outside the transport sector and because of his participation in Plovdiv football.
PIMK participated in the reconstruction of the "Hristo Botev" stadium in Plovdiv, and Filipov gradually became one of the key figures around the "Botev" football club.
In June 2025, he took over ownership of the club and announced that he would also assume liabilities accumulated by the previous management for nearly 6.9 million leva.
Thus, at the time of his death, Filipov was already publicly recognizable not only as one of the founders of a large transport group, but also as one of the leading figures in "Botev" (Plovdiv).
His murder also raises the question of how the management of the business structure, built over more than 25 years, will change. According to the currently available registry data, however, "PIMK" OOD is not directly managed by Filipov - the company's registered manager is Anton Yordanov. Control over the company is exercised primarily through "PIMK Holding Group", in which Filipov and his long-time partner Penko Nestorov each own 50%.
What the consequences will be for the ownership of Filipov's stake and for the management of the holding is a question that will depend on the inheritance and corporate procedures and subsequent entries in the Commercial Register.
Source: news.bg