The Stara Zagora Region is located in the central part of Southern Bulgaria with an area of 5147 square km and a population of 390,000 in eleven municipalities. The City of Stara Zagora is in the heart of the Region with a population of 180,000. The Region has nine towns and a population density of 76 people per square kilometer, exceeding the national average. In the northern part of the Region stands the majestic Balkan Mountain Range/Stara Planina. Just below the Balkans lay the Sredna Gora Mountains. The Upper Thracian Plain occupies the central and southern parts of the Region.

One of the largest Bulgarian lignite coal mines is situated within Stara Zagora Region. The Region is rich in thermal mineral springs with a large number of spas and health centers to facilitate the use of the healing waters. The rich soils of the Region make it ideal for productive agriculture and food processing. Forests are one of the Stara Zagora Region's most valuable natural resources offering ideal opportunities for the regional economy.

The location of the Stara Zagora Region is a major advantage to trade with transportation routes providing easy access to Sofia in the west (230 km); Bourgas' Black Sea Port in the east (180 km); Rousse's Danube Port at the Romanian Border in the north (235 km); and the Greek Port Alexandrupolis, in the south (300 km). Stara Zagora serves as the central hub of an efficient train system connecting the Region with all Bulgarian cities as well as cities in Eastern and Western Europe. The International Automatic Telephone Network provides the Region with a quality communication system, recently improved by the completion of a new digital network, providing a communication system to meet the standards of international business.

The Stara Zagora region boasts well-developed health care and educational institutions as well as a large number of institutions dedicated to keeping alive the rich cultural and historic traditions of the region.

Various industries combine to produce over 70% of the region's revenues. A major portion of regional revenues result from the production of lignite coal and electrical energy, with Stara Zagora supplying 30% of the total power output in Bulgaria. Other major industries in the region are related to equipment building (electronics, hydraulics, food processing equipment, and military equipment), the food industry, and the production of cosmetics.

Agriculture accounts for a smaller share in the regional economy but its potential for development in the future is great due to a favorable climate and fertile soils. Various fruits, vegetables, vines, cereals (wheat, maize, barley) as well as cotton, sunflower, roses, and lavender are grown here. Animal breeding has also been developing at a quick pace in the recent years.

Being a region with well-developed agricultural and food processing industries Stara Zagora is known as a center for the food processing equipment manufacturing industry. The first company to manufacture such machinery and equipment was Hraninvest Hranmashcomplect AD, established in 1968. The systems developed by this company, an industry leader since the 1960's, have been preserved and are still evolving in a number of small companies founded during the years of the restructuring of the regional economy, a time when many food processing professionals began creating their own businesses. These businesses feature greater flexibility and more specialized production which has resulted in a significant improvement in the quality of their products. The various complementary partnerships among them enable them to successfully compete for the production of larger items and bigger quantities.

A branch association called Hrantechmach was registered in 1999 to provide for the training of experts, common marketing research and the facilitation of partnerships among these companies to help them offer the market greater manufacturing capacity and higher quality.

The companies that deal with food processing machinery and equipment in the Stara Zagora region offer engineering, supply, installation and after-sale service of single machines and complete lines in the following areas:

• Production and bottling of non-alcoholic beverages;
• Clear juices and nectars;
• Production and bottling of wine, beer and spirits;
• Canned products;
• Dairy products;
• Bakery products;
• Meat products;
• Initial tobacco processing;
• Sunflower seed oil refining;
• Stainless steel pressure vessels;
• Packaging and plastic thermoforming machinery and equipment.

There are companies in Stara Zagora specialized in the supply of complete bottling plants for Coca Cola and Pepsi Cola. In the past, their products and capacities were well known in the international markets of Nigeria, China, Russia, Poland, Romania, Iran, the Ukraine, Syria, Georgia and elsewhere.