AGRANA in Bosnia
STUDEN-AGRANA Sugar Refinery
Studen - AGRANA Sugar Refinery Ltd. is one of three production companies that make up the Agro - Industrial Complex in Brcko, Bosnia and Herzegovina. The opening of this factory marks the end of one of the largest development projects in Bosnia and Herzegovina's food industry in recent years.
The total investment in the new and first-ever Bosnia and Herzegovina's sugar refinery exceeds 90 million KM (approx. EUR 45 million) and as such, it has created 140 new jobs. This number has continued to grow with the company's development. The production capacity of the refinery is more than 150,000 tons of white sugar which uses raw sugar from the global markets as a raw material. In March 2008, STUDEN - AGRANA Sugar Refinery won the title of "The Most Significant Greenfield Investment in Year 2007", awarded by the Agency for the Promotion of Foreign Investments in BiH.
The quality of sugar produced by the STUDEN - AGRANA under AGRAGOLD brand name is recognized and acknowledged by numerous prizes for product quality awarded in international food industry fairs.
Since its opening until today, STUDEN - AGRANA Sugar Refinery has introduced well-known and recognized quality standards ISO 9001, HACCP, Bonsucro Chain of Custody 5.1 and IFS (International Food Standard) with a high score which standards further confirm the uncompromised level of quality of the sugar it produces, and ensure security and safety of products in line with culture-specific requirements.
In 2010, STUDEN-AGRANA Sugar Refinery started cooperation with the Coca-Cola Company for Central and South Eastern Europe and has thus become a certified supplier of sugar to the Coca Cola Hellenic. The Coca-Cola standard requires annual recertification of STUDEN-AGRANA Sugar Refinery in accordance with the Coca-Cola norms, striving and needing to achieve the standard's highest requirements of the world's largest company that produces soft drinks.
History
Brčko, Bosnia-Herzegovina, 20 September 2006 Partners in the STUDEN&Co Holding’s and Agrana Group’s Project Began the Construction of the Largest Sugar Refinery in the Region
STUDEN & CO Holding and AGRANA Group held a ceremony of laying a cornerstone at the site where the new sugar refinery will be built. Mr. Johann Marihart, Agrana Gruppe CEO and Mr. Ilija Studen, STUDEN & Co Holding CEO, joined by his excellence, Ambassador of Austria in B&H, Dr. Wrener Almhofer, Dr. Erhard Busek, Special Coordinator of the Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe and the Mayor of Brčko District, Mr. Mirsad Đapo, addressed the guests of the ceremony as well as representatives of the media.
Mr. Marihart officially announced the commencement of one of the largest projects in years in Bosnia-Herzegovina’s food industry which will signify a turning point in the strategic development of the country’s food industry, in the branch of industry that is of a particular importance - sugar production.
The project plans include construction of a sugar refinery in Brčko as well as the integration of a great number of resources of both business groups in the sugar and oil production industry. STUDEN & CO Holding’s and AGRANA’s joint decision was based on a comprehensive two-year-long macro and micro analysis that demonstrated that sugar production in Bosnia-Herzegovina would be economically justified. Now is the right time for the beginning of this “green field” investment, given the fact that sugar industry will undergo certain changes following a decision of the European Union. In accordance with the construction plan, the refinery will be built by mid-2007 and the production will begin by late 2007.
Mr. Johann Marihart –AGRANA Group’s CEO stated: “Given the fact that the countries of the South Eastern Europe, especially the countries in the Balkans, traditionally form a very important market for AGRANA’s sugar export, and given the fact that it is no longer possible to export this sort of goods outside of European Union, this was a logical step for us to make, in cooperation with our long-term partner STUDEN & CO Holding – to build this sugar refinery in order to maintain an enviable share in the region’s market.”
“ I have a great pleasure to officially declare the beginning of construction of the sugar refinery, only three months after we gave a press conference where we announced this project. We have proven that our partnership has ensured this project’s development in accordance with the project’s business plan and program of activities. The fact that Bosnia-Herzegovina was selected as the best location for implementation of this project is also of huge importance as the project will have a great effect on the strategic development of the country’s food industry and economic progress“, Mr. Ilija Studen, STUDEN & CO Holding CEO and the General Director of BIMAL d.d. pointed out in his address.
STUDEN & CO is an ideal partner with an excellently developed consumer network base. For a number of years AGRANA and its partner company STUDEN & CO Group have experienced many years of successful cooperation in the field of exporting sugar to the EU. STUDEN Group and AGRANA each hold 50% of shares in this joint investment, officially titled AGRANA STUDEN Beteiligungs GmbH/Vienna, which name will operate as an owner and manager of the sugar refinery in Bosnia-Herzegovina.
Within the investors’ production capacities, the same as the world’s leading sugar-producing companies, the new sugar refinery will annually produce over 150.000 tons of sugar which is a significant share of the regional market, particularly considering Bosnia-Herzegovina’s size and that of the neighboring countries. This investment will create several hundreds of new jobs and have an overall positive effect on the economy of both BiH and the region.