Vispak invests another 5 million BAM in production expansion

Bosnia and Herzegovina's food industry Vispak d.d. Visoko and its most famous brand Zlatna džezva are celebrating 43 years of existence and successful business today, reports the Patria news agency.

Vispak is celebrating its birthday in the best possible way. An investment in the expansion of production capacities in Visoko has begun. The value of the investment is 5 million BAM, and with this, Vispak will double its current capacities for the production and packaging of Zlatna džezva.

"Vispak currently employs 180 workers, 40 of whom have higher education, and exports to 25 countries worldwide on four continents"

In the year when AS GROUP became the majority owner of Vispak, on December 8, 2010, the company had an annual revenue of 18 million BAM. Last year, 2014, Vispak finished its operations with a total turnover of nearly 36 million BAM. Revenues and production have doubled, and Zlatna džezva has become the number 1 coffee by revenue in BiH, as well as by consumer loyalty.

Former director of Vispak, Rusmir Hrvić, said that when the AS group bought Vispak, many did not believe that the "return of the outcast" was possible. However, in a short time, they managed to bring Vispak's brands back to the shelves, and the return on investment followed after only three years.

- Vispak is today a success story and the pride of Bosnia and Herzegovina's food industry. We have big plans for Vispak. We want to make this company and its brands a successful business venture on a European scale – said Hrvić, who, due to a new acquisition, continued to lead the company Klas d.d. Sarajevo in February last year.

"Vispak d.d. Visoko was founded on April 7, 1972, in Visoko as an integral part of Velepromet, one of the largest retail chains in the former Yugoslavia at the time"

Hrvić added that for over four decades, Vispak has best testified to the success of an idea. The vision of Vispak's founders at the time, to launch a domestic food industry that would preserve the best of Bosnia and Herzegovina's cultural heritage, such as real Bosnian coffee and Bosnian cuisine, was crucial and is the biggest reason for Vispak's success.

- Our strength lies in our brands; this fact is becoming increasingly important in our overall development. We are increasingly respected in the domestic market because of this, while foreign markets specifically prefer our Bosnian identity – said Hrvić, who, on behalf of Vispak and AS GROUP, thanked loyal consumers, customers, suppliers, male and female employees of Vispak, media, and friends for their support.

Hrvić: Vispak is the pride of Bosnia and Herzegovina's
food industry

Vispak d.d. Visoko was founded on April 7, 1972, in Visoko as an integral part of Velepromet, one of the largest retail chains in the former Yugoslavia at the time.

In the same year, the production of Zlatna džezva, the company's most famous brand, began. Two years later, the production of Vispak's Espresso coffee was launched, followed by tea packaging on the then most modern IMA machines.

With the relocation of the plant to a new building in 1980, new lines for packaging coffee, snacks, and powdered products, as well as spices and food additives, were installed. This was followed by the launch of brands such as Stampi, Čoko milk, Choco club, Vispak teas, and Bosnia coffee.

A special mention should be made of the development of the "Bosnian Cuisine" product line with Begova čorba, Tarhana, and Sarajevska čorba. In the last four years, Vispak has developed new brands such as Tiru – Liru, Tajna, Laganini powdered products, and Mr&Mrs Vi hot drinks, with plans for further new product development.

Vispak currently employs 180 workers, 40 of whom have higher education, and exports to 25 countries worldwide on four continents. The company owns three certificates for food safety and quality management: ISO 9001:2008, HACCP, and HALAL.

After breaking the Guinness World Record in 2004 together with the citizens of Mostar by baking and drinking coffee from the world's largest džezva, Vispak officially received a Guinness certificate in 2005, entering the record book, reports Patria.