WB6 CIF awarded the most successful companies from the region

WB6 CIF, with the support of the European commission, organized an Award ceremony, held on 29.03.2023 in Skopje and awarded prizes to 16 successful companies in the WB6 region. WB6 CIF Award Ceremony celebrated the success of some of the most outstanding companies from the WB region, in different categories, including lead (champion) investor in Western Balkan countries, highest export growth in the region for 2022, environmental protection champion in the Western Balkans, digital champion in the Western Balkans, successful supplier in the regional chain and the most innovative company in the Western Balkans.

The winners of the awards are the following companies from the region:

Alumnij, Bosnia and Herzegovina – company with highest export growth in the region for 2022. Established in 1975, with an annual production capacity exceeding 350.000 metric tons, Alumnij is one of Europe’s leading aluminium producers. Aluminij Industries exported a total of 80.408,21 MT in 2021, while in 2022 the total was 128.442,05 MT.

Marbo Product, Serbia – company with highest export growth in the region for 2022.
As a result of the increased capacity, they have managed to record an historical growth of 46% vs. 2021 in the exports to the West Balkans economies, with further growth anticipated for 2023.

Mega –International, Montenegro –company with highest export growth in the region for 2022
With the main activity- international transport and trade, they have existed since 2006. Starting with just vehicle, now they have over 20 vehicles. The goal of the company is to strengthen the company among its competitors, to provide maximum service to its clients, and to employ as many people as possible.

Tikveš Winery, North Macedonia – company with highest export growth in the region for 2022, which is one of the oldest and biggest wine producers in the region. Tikveš Winery as a company that has enjoyed enduring success has core values and a core purpose that remained unchanged while its business strategies and practices adapted to changing world. The dynamics of preserving the core while stimulating progress is why Tikveš Winery became an elite wine institution able to re-invent itself and achieve superior long-term performance.

Cacctuss, Kosovo – digital champion in WB6, leading company in solutions and services in the field of information technology and telecommunications. Whether it’s sharing knowledge and expertise, pooling resources to tackle common challenges, or simply, building strong relationships and networks that can lead to new opportunities, regional cooperation can help them to achieve more than we ever could alone.

Logate, Montenegro – digital champion in WB6, software empowerment company from Montenegro that develops highly- specialized software for telecoms, banks, public institutions and enterprises. With a team of 80+ dedicated thinkers and doers, 250+ successfully completed projects in 11 European countries and 2 offices, in Podgorica and Vienna, they are on a mission to show to the world that a small software company from the Balkans can compete with corporations from all around the world.

Makprogres, North Macedonia – digital champion in WB6, modern and customer-oriented company locatedin the Eastern part of North Macedonia. From small family business founded in 1990, Makprogres grow up into one of the leading confectionary producers in Southeast Europe with export in more than 55 countries. Digitalization is continuing process that Makprogres is constantly working on with improving of processes and with additional modules and more automatisation.

Salveo, Serbia – digital champion in WB6 is a pharmaceutical company that has been building successful and trusted over-the-counter and prescription brands in Central and Eastern European markets since 2007, adhering to the highest quality standards.

SIK Mostar – digital champion in WB6 is recognized in Europe and the rest of the world as a manufacturer of the most complex metal assemblies for the automotive industry, the ship industry, the paper industry, the food industry, the production of components for ironworks, and all types of metal are processed in individual pieces and small series according to the customer’s request.

AZ Group – environmental protection champion in the Western Balkans 6, represents a diversified portfolio of companies that produce natural ingredients and provide custom-made solutions for customers in the: Food industry Pet food industry, Feed and agriculture industry, Pharmaceutical industry and Energy industry. The common infrastructure of these factories provides the possibility to of closed-cycle processing (0-waste) of all animal waste, thus making AZ Group the only such industrial complex in the Western Balkans area.

NEST Coworking, Montenegro – environmental protection champion in the Western Balkans 6 is the driver of fresh energy, good ideas, unique opportunities and support for all brave people in the pursuit of their dreams. NEST has also been working for more than three years on community building, supporting digital nomads, and promoting Montenegro as a desirable location for visiting, working or moving and living there.

Civil Engineering Institute Macedonia – environmental protection champion in the Western Balkans 6. With a tradition of 48 years, successfully building its vision – to be a leading company in the field of civil engineering through continuous investment in innovation and human capital. Over the years of its operation, Civil Engineering Institute Macedonia has developed into a modern world company, as part of the complex world business system, and today, it is a leader in the domestic market, but also in the Balkans through its active subsidiaries in Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo and Albania and a new branch in Romania.

Elixir Zorka, Serbia – environmental protection champion in the Western Balkans 6
Elixir Zorka is one of 12 company members of Elixir Group business system that is continuously developing in the field of chemical industry and agribusiness, through numerous projects dedicated to sustainable development, application of the circular economy model and improvement of resource efficiency. With more than 1,800 employees develops partnerships for benefit, through cooperation and support for sustainable community development. In the last three years, 3.5 million euros were invested in scrubbers and demister for gas washing, with the aim of further reducing emissions from the plant, even though the values were not above the permitted emission limits.

Alkaloid Skopje, North Macedonia – lead investor in Western Balkans 6
Founded in 1936, “Alkaloid” brand is recognizable and well-established, just like its motto – “Health above all” – slogan of one of the key drivers of the Macedonian economy, one of the fastest growing pharmaceutical companies in the region and one of the leading pharmaceutical industries in Southeaster Europe. With more than 2600 employees in its headquarters in Skopje and the 20 subsidiaries located in 15 countries abroad, “Alkaloid” places its products in over 40 countries worldwide implementing the global trends in the sphere of pharmaceuticals, chemicals, phyto-therapy and cosmetology in its everyday operations. In the past 5 years only, since 2018 to 2022, “Alkaloid” invested EUR 104.1 mil. in the WB region, allocated mostly in the Macedonian headquarters.

NELT, Serbia – successful supplier in the regional chain
Nelt Group is one of the most successful Western Balkans business systems in the logistics and distribution of FMCG, tobacco, pharmaceuticals, and beauty products. It employs 5,500 people in 12 European and African markets as an international group.

Farmavit, Bosnia and Herzegovina – most innovative company in the Western Balkans.
Company Farmavit LLC was founded in 1998 in Ljubinje, with primary activity of producing food for human and animal use. h the course of development, the company operated successfully, so that in 2006 it was declared the most successful business entity within the framework of small business enterprises in the Republic of Srpska. The company directs the continuity of its development through new investments in research and development of products made prom Herzegovinian garlic.
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The regional awards recognized the contribution of companies that are leaders in regional economic integration and cooperation, in the various pillars of the Common Regional Market, the Green and Digital Agenda for the Western Balkans and the integration of the economies of the Western Balkans towards the EU single market.