Home / Business and Politics / Lada Tedeschi Fiorio: We are building a new factory near Varaždin worth 50 million euros

Lada Tedeschi Fiorio: We are building a new factory near Varaždin worth 50 million euros

Among many recognizable names in the economic and political life of the country that will find their place at this year’s Leader’s Day of Big Plans, there will be Lada Tedeschi Fiorio. Over the past twelve years, this business gathering has become a hallmark of Leader’s conferences, bringing together around 4,300 participants and two hundred speakers, mostly leaders from various industries and top figures from political and public life. The conference, which will take place on September 29 at the Zagreb Fair, has gained the status of an indispensable political-economic event, and this year it will cover key topics such as global trends, expectations for the next year in the region, monetary and credit policy in 2022 and the introduction of the euro, fiscal policy and its effects on consumption, attracting investments and promoting exports, as well as forecasts for 2022. A member of the Management Board of Atlantic Group evaluated the company’s performance in the past year, presented expectations for this and next year, and commented on the pressing issue of supply chains.

The first wave affected the Group’s results, she explains, but not significantly, as the company operates in the food and beverage industry, which was not as severely impacted by the crisis as many other industries. 'What we lost on one side, for example in the HoReCa channel due to necessary pandemic measures, or in impulse buying, we compensated for elsewhere, in increased consumption at home. A stable financial position, timely optimization of business processes, and quality strategic management have allowed us to maintain business continuity and job security, actively engage in helping the community in the fight against the coronavirus, and improve profitability with minimal negative consequences on revenue levels in 2020', says Tedeschi Fiorio.

As for practically the entire economy, this year has brought growth in revenue and profitability for Atlantic Group. In the first half of the year, a revenue growth of 9.7 percent was recorded compared to the previous year, as well as an EBITDA growth of 6.7 percent without one-off items. 'We have grown in all business and distribution areas, which, compared to the same period last year, is a result of a better epidemiological situation in all markets and the easing of pandemic containment measures. We are particularly proud of the fact that, despite all the challenges, we achieved an organic sales growth of nearly nine percent compared to the first half of 2019 – the year in which we had historically the highest revenues. We also recorded a new highest share price and paid out a historically highest dividend', explains Tedeschi Fiorio, adding that the upcoming period will be epidemiologically challenging, but the company’s priorities remain unchanged: the health and safety of our employees, ensuring uninterrupted production and continuous supply to our customers and consumers, and social responsibility in the broadest sense.

As challenging as it may be, the past period did not prevent Atlantic Group from launching two completely new brands, Jimmy Fantastic chocolate and a range of oat-based products unified under the Boom Box brand. The new products are available in Croatia and Slovenia and are recording excellent sales results with equally promising prospects, claims Tedeschi Fiorio. As expected, the company plans to expand into new markets and make new investments. 'Given the excellent business development and growth plans in the category of delicatessen spreads, in March we also started investing in the construction of a new factory for products under the Argeta brand in the Kneginec municipality area near Varaždin. The total investment value of over 50 million euros will take place in several phases, and the realization of all phases of the project  is planned to open up to 150 new jobs. In July, we signed a cooperation agreement with Barry Callebaut, the world’s leading manufacturer of high-quality chocolate and cocoa products, which will enhance the production of Atlantic’s portfolio in the chocolate assortment and confirm our focus on further development of key brands in key categories', specifies Tedeschi Fiorio. In conclusion, she states that Atlantic Group is not isolated from the challenges in its environment, including logistical problems and rising prices of raw materials and services, but that it is coming out well in the end, which is why it is not endangered in any way.

Do not miss the opportunity to socialize with the most successful entrepreneurs, register in time to participate in the 13th Day of Big Plans which will be held on September 29 in the Great Congress Hall of the Zagreb Fair. More information can be found at the link.