We stayed in Croatia, we are engaged in production and despite all the challenges, we have no regrets

Years of gathering documentation, misunderstanding of institutions, battling with big players, product placement in the market, learning from one’s own mistakes, navigating through a forest of regulations and rules, building a knowledge base, applying for EU grants… is just part of what Dalmatian producers have experienced and continue to live today.

Oliver Vuco (CEO of Draco), Siniša Anđelić (LAB Split Brewery), and Monika Prović (Vinarstvo Prović) are producers from Dalmatia who were guests at the Entrepreneurial Café on Thursday in the beautiful setting of MediLS in Split on the topic: Who and what produces in Dalmatia? Their experiences and stories were moderated by N1 journalist and successful olive grower and winemaker Rade Županović.

Oliver Vuco, the head of the Draco brand, has successfully led the company for 13 years, which has grown from a family shop into a leader in the field of waterproofing in Croatia. Upon joining Draco, his guiding thought was that import, or trade, was not the best solution for the company and that they had to start production themselves.

I told my colleagues: Let’s create something ourselves that will remain for generations to come, and we succeeded in that – said Vuco, emphasizing that with the help of UHY Consulting, they managed to draw funds from the EU funds for the production process, laboratory equipment, marketing, and computerization.

The accidental entrepreneur and beer producer, as he calls himself, Siniša Anđelić, survives by constantly discovering and learning. He is the owner of the first Split craft brewery – LAB Split Brewery, and everyone in Dalmatia and beyond has heard of his Barba, and his dream is a life outside the office. He came to Croatia to leave a mark, and he spends most of his time working for the state, trying to master numerous laws, regulations, and outdated beer regulations.

The director of the family boutique winery Vinarstvo Prović from the Neretva Valley, Monika Prović, stated that in the last 10 years, a great “spring” of Dalmatian winemaking has occurred, largely thanks to available EU funds. She believes that it is most important to have a well-structured business model from production to sales and an appropriate division of labor within the team, and for the further rise of the entire sector, stronger cooperation and unity among Dalmatian winemakers will be needed.

There are many factors that make it difficult for producers to operate in Croatia, but everyone agrees that problems cannot be an excuse; rather, one must confront reality and create something new and good.

This was the second of a total of eight planned Entrepreneurial Cafés, held as part of the EU project “STech Standard – Entrepreneurship at Hand.” The organizer is Entrepreneurial Accelerator Split, and the purpose of these gatherings is education and networking for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).

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