The Move of MI Braća Pivac into Slovenia is a Logical Continuation of Their Development

The acquisition of Celjske mesnine by Mesna industrija Braća Pivac is a logical continuation of the expansion of this Croatian company into the Slovenian market. This was commented on by agricultural and food industry market expert Zvjezdana Blažić, reminding that MI Braća Pivac, as part of the Braća Pivac Group, is the strongest meat industry in Croatia.

– This is primarily about the production with which the Pivac family started their business – the production of prosciutto. They have invested heavily in the production-technology process in Ravča, and since Celjske mesnine also have their own prosciutto production, it is clear that this is a compatibility of production – said Blažić.

Additionally, she added that prosciutto is highly sought after in the Slovenian market, which will be an additional opportunity for MI Braća Pivac products, even though they are already present in the Slovenian market. Ultimately, Blažić states that this move into Slovenia is an additional confirmation of the very good results of the Vrgorac company in production and livestock farming, which they have been developing for a long time.

Another reason for the acquisition of the Slovenian company by MI Braća Pivac lies in the fact that they have previously acquired similar important companies in Croatia – PPK Karlovačka mesna industrija and Mesna industrija Vajda – and there are not many similar companies left on the domestic market that could be acquired.

The move of MI Braća Pivac into Slovenia is one of several recent acquisitions of Slovenian companies by Croatian ones. However, Blažić believes that this is not something we could label as a trend, as it is still a matter of individual examples.

To recall, after the acquisition of Celjske mesnine, the CEO of Mesna industrija Braća Pivac Neven Pivac stated that they recognized the Slovenian meat company ‘as a valuable company with great potential: ‘In addition to strengthening the company’s liquidity, by entering the ownership structure, we will focus on creating conditions for its further development through investments and overall business improvement.

This strategic partnership is compatible on multiple business levels since both companies are large meat producers and processors of domestic raw materials, with many years of experience and applicable knowledge. This synergy will also allow us to strengthen the positioning of the most valued products of both meat industries, such as further placement of Kranjska sausage in the Croatian market, where it is highly valued, as well as Dalmatian prosciutto in Slovenia’.

The news of the official acquisition of Celjske mesnine comes shortly after the Croatian Mplus acquired a majority stake in the Slovenian agricultural, vertically organized company, Panvita, continuing the trend of Croatian acquisitions in the Slovenian agricultural-food industry.

Upon completion of the process, the Pivac family will hold a majority stake in the company, while co-owner Danilo Dujović will completely exit its ownership structure, while Izidor Krivec will retain a minority stake for a certain period and a management position at the head of the company.

The acquisition does not include Radgonske gorice, a part of the company that deals with wine and has state land under concession, as the Pivac family is focused on the synergy of prosciutto and the production of Kranjska sausage, which, due to EU rules on protected products, can only be produced by Slovenian producers after 2026.