Located in the middle of a rich agricultural region, since the beginning of the 20th century Plovdiv grew as important industrial center. Food processing, tobacco, brewing, leather processing, shoemaking, cosmetics and textile are the most important industrial branches for the city. Over the last years the light industry greatly expanded and took over the heavy industry. There is also production of zinc, machinery, heavy trucks and chemical industry. Plovdiv has one of the country's fastest growing economies. At the end of 1990 many factories were built in the city and its outskirts. The retail industry is also developing very quickly. The big hypermarkets such as Metro, Billa, Kaufland, Baumax, Carrefour, Praktiker, Mr. Bricolage, Technomarket, Technopolis have opened their store here, and on main street and in Mall Plovdiv you can find products of international brands like Gucci, Benetton, Tom Taylor, Adidas, Kenvelo, Levy’s, etc. Since 2009 in the vicinity of Plovdiv started operation the first in Bulgaria waste treatment plant.