[Business Scene] Big Capital Loves Zagreb County, New Projects Target Globally

Written by Goran Litvan and Valentina Starčević
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If it weren’t for the ‘side exit’ over Medvednica towards Zagorje, Zagreb would be a prisoner of Zagreb County, which is the only one that has an extraterritorial seat – in Zagreb. This Sljeme exit to Zagorje is the reason why Zagreb County has not truly closed the ring around the city of Zagreb; the golden one, as the first county head Ivica Gaži called it.

However, the unusual situation in which both of these territorial units are independent and mutually autonomous does not prevent the rapid development of the Zagreb ring, which maximally utilizes the proximity of Zagreb and generally excellent traffic connectivity, and this is enhanced by cheaper living and business costs. Therefore, it is also at the top when looking at income per employee and per capita.

Only Zagreb (due to large banking, trading, telecommunications, and oil companies operating throughout Croatia, with revenues recorded in Zagreb) and Vukovar-Srijem County (where PPD generates about 60 percent of all revenues in the county) are ahead. This is certainly contributed to by large companies, including multinationals, which most often lead operations in Croatia, and even the region, from Zagreb, but immediately after that, the most desirable destination for big capital is Zagreb County. It is home to 52 companies that had revenues exceeding 200 million kuna last year (followed by Split-Dalmatia County with 29 companies). The same goes for companies with revenues over half a billion kuna (18 in Zagreb County, 12 in Osijek-Baranja…)

Moreover, eight out of ten largest companies primarily engage in trade. The largest producer is PIK Vrbovec plus, the leading meat industry in Croatia and the region. We arrived in Vrbovec when the temperature was above 30 degrees, so walking through the facilities, despite adhering to all prescribed protective measures (coat, cap, shoe covers, and mask) was literally a refreshing experience. An interview with the CEO Slaven Ružić will be published in tomorrow’s continuation of the series.  

About fifty kilometers in a straight line to the east is the second county industrial flagship – Klimaoprema. The drive from Vrbovec to Samobor through Zagreb takes more than an hour and a half, and even the bypass does not get you there in less than an hour, so the proximity to Zagreb is a complicating factor in this context. However, for the manufacturer of high-tech solutions in the HVAC field (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning), even the corona was not a complicating factor. On the contrary! The pandemic was an additional push for its clean room systems, and in the last two years, its revenues have nearly tripled. Last year, they exceeded the billion kuna mark, of which 90 percent was generated from exports. 

They recently established the umbrella brand Amelicor Holding, which will consolidate existing operations and assist in the internationalization of the business, and last year they acquired the German MCRT. CEO Sergio Galošić also announced new acquisitions:

– We continuously reflect on new challenges, markets, and new opportunities. We believe that now is the best opportunity to go into new investments, both in Croatia and abroad. We consider ourselves a very competitive international company that originated from Croatia – claims Galošić.

Two large transport companies from Velika Gorica were guided by similar investment logic during the crisis. Trade Air was acquiring aircraft, while Zubak Group launched a business with used cars Neostar.

Meanwhile, DIV Group Tomislav Debeljaka is struggling with pre-bankruptcy. The entire group, along with Brodosplit, employs three thousand workers. In Knin, there is the largest factory of standard screws in Europe, and the production location in Samobor is the administrative center of DIV Group and employs more than 100 employees. A good piece of news for DIV Group was the decision of the European Commission to introduce a protective tariff for the import of Chinese screw goods into the EU at a level of 89.9 percent from the beginning of this year.

This measure ensures that the entire annual production capacity can be placed on the European market at a more competitive price, so it will compete with Chinese manufacturers not only with faster delivery but also with price, which will certainly have a long-term positive impact on its realization and business results, explain DIV Group.

It is difficult to even mention all the interesting and promising projects from this dynamic county. Feromihin from Novoselec prevents accidents on gas and oil pipelines with its devices. The INO workshop from Strmec produces industrial knives and other tools made of high-quality steel for cutting in various industries. Setcor from Jastrebarsko manages the Križ Data Center, the most reliable in Croatia.

Meridian 16 Business Park is in the final phase of filling the first private and ecological business park in Vukovina near Velika Gorica, and soon it will start a new project. Of course, there is also the Rimac Group, which we wrote about in last week’s continuation as part of the presentation of the business scene of Sveta Nedelja.

Another major project has been launched in Jakovlje. The Austrian factory of components for aircraft cabins FACC has completed the first phase of investment and employed 150 people. As orders grow, it plans to expand, possibly up to 450 employees.

The common denominator of the mentioned projects is global orientation. As if the new export-oriented businesses represent a counterpoint to multinationals, big capital, and importers from the trading sector who love the Zagreb ring.

► You can read the complete report on the business scene of Zagreb County in the new digital and printed edition of Lider.

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