October 2, 2006
Embassy of the United States of America
Belgrade

U.S. Ambassador to visit companies near Aleksandrovac that have benefited from U.S. assistance

On Tuesday, October 3, the U.S. Ambassador to Serbia, Michael C. Polt, will visit two companies in Sljivovo, Aleksandrovac that have prospered with the support of American assistance: Foodland Sljivovo, a fruit and vegetable processing company, and Minar frucht, a cold-storage facility company.

Both companies were able to begin their operations in Sljivovo thanks to regular electricity supplies made possible through the assistance of the Community Revitalization through Democratic Action - Economy (CRDA-E) program, funded through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Foodland and Minar frucht are two of several hundred small and medium enterprises in Serbia that have prospered with support provided by the American people.

Last year, the Municipal Economic Council in Aleksandrovac municipality, established through the CRDA-E program, supported a local initiative and asked USAID partner Mercy Corps if it could help improve the electrical supply to Sljivovo and Parcin villages. Of the total investment of $53,000, USAID contributed $21,000, local entrepreneur Branislav Minakovic provided land for the substation and invested about $8,000 in ground works and the substation building construction. The local communities contributed with ground works, and the Electric Company of Serbia installed electrical network equipment worth $23,000.

The improved supply of electricity in the villages made it possible to attract new businesses. The national food processing company Foodland decided to establish Foodland Sljivovo, which now employs 170 workers. The facility produces jams, jellies and syrups using natural ingredients, prepared in a traditional manner and sold under the “Grandma’s Secret” brand. USAID, through the Serbia Enterprise Development Project (SEDP) has been working extensively with Foodland on their products, presentation, packaging and strategy. This includes consultations with industry specialists on setting up sales and distribution, and on developing a marketing strategy. SEDP has also helped and supported Foodland to seek markets at a number of fairs including New York, Dubai and, most recently, Moscow. These fairs have led to 5.5 million Dinars in exports for the company in the last year alone and will lead to even greater exports in the future.

Encouraged by the success of Foodland, the Minakovic family, which rents the facilities to Foodland for its factory, found a local partner, built another cold-storage facility and established the Minar frucht company. The new company, which started operations in June of this year, has already purchased approximately 1,500 tons of fruit, mostly for export. More than 50 workers were employed this summer at Minar frucht.

For more information on Mercy Corps activities, please contact Rados Kandic at 063 324-816 or rkandic@mercycorps.org.yu. For more information on SEDP’s activities, please contact Timothy Collins at 063 234 269 or tcollins@sedp.org.yu. For information on all of USAID’s activities in Serbia, please see serbia-montenegro.usaid.gov or write to dkahrmann@usaid.gov.

Journalists interested in covering the events are kindly asked to be at Sljivovo village, Aleksandrovac municipality near the Minar and Foodland facilities by 3 p.m. or to contact Rados Kandic at 063/324-816 to arrange transportation from Krusevac to Sljivovo and back.

Ambassador Polt visiting fruit and vegetable processing company "Foodland" in Sljivovo

Ambasador Polt u poseti kompaniji za preradu voća i povrća "Fudlend" u Šljivovu

Fruit and vegetable processing company "Foodland"

Kompanija za preradu voća i povrća "Fudlend" u Šljivovu

2. oktobar, 2006
Ambasada Sjedinjenih Američkih Država
Beograd

Ambasador SAD posetiće preduzeća blizu Aleksandrovca - korisnike pomoći Sjedinjenih Američkih Država

U utorak 3. oktobra, ambasador SAD u Srbiji, Majkl K. Polt, posetiće dva pogona koja se bave otkupom i preradom voća i povrća: Foodland i Minar frucht u Šljivovu kod Aleksandrovca.

Oba preduzeća u Šljivovu imaju nesmetano snabdevanje električnim energijom zahvaljujući izgradnji trafo stanice kroz program Revitalizacija zajednice demokratskim delovanjem (CRDA-E) koji finansira Američka agencije za međunarodni razvoj (USAID). Foodland i Minar frucht su dva od nekoliko stotina malih i srednjih preduzeća u Srbiji koja su napredovala uz podršku američkog naroda.

Prošle godine, Opštinski ekonomski Savet u opštini Aleksandrovac, koji je osnovan u okviru CRDA-E programa, podržao je lokalnu inicijativu i zatražio od partnera USAID-a Mercy Corps, da pomogne poboljšanje snabdevanja električnom energijom sela Šljivovo i Parčin s ciljem stvaranja uslova za rad novih preduzeća na tom području. Od ukupne investicije u trafo stanicu u iznosu od 53,000 dolara, USAID je učestvovao sa 21,000 dolara, a lokalni preduzimač Branislav Minaković obezbedio je zemlju za podstanicu i investirao oko 8,000 dolara u izgradnju objekta za smeštanje trafo stanice. Lokalna zajednica učestvovala je sa zemljanim radovima, a Elektroprivreda Srbije instalirala je električnu mrežu u vrednosti 23,000 dolara.

Poboljšano snabdevanje sela električnom energijom omogućilo je privlačenje novih poslovnih aktivnosti. Domaća kompanija za preradu hrane Foodland odlučila je da osnuje svoj pogon u Šljivovu koji trenutno zapošljava 170 radnika. Postrojenje koristi samo prirodne sastojke za proizvodnju ajvara, džemova, slatka i sirupa, na tradicionalan način i bez konzervanasa, koji se prodaju pod brendom ”Bakina tajna”. USAID je, preko Programa za razvoj preduzeća u Srbiji (SEDP), sveobuhvatno radio sa Foodland-om na njihovim proizvodima, prezentaciji, ambalaži i strategiji. Ovo uključuje konsultacije sa ekspertima vezano za prodaju i distribuciju, kao i razvoj tržišne strategije. SEDP je takođe pomogao i podržao Foodland u osvajanju novih tržišta putem učešća na sajmovima u Njujorku, Dubaiu i, najskorije, u Moskvi. Učešće na ovim sajmovima doprinelo je izvozu proizvoda ove firme u vrednosti od 5,5 miliona dinara samo u poslednjoj godini, a neizostavno će dovesti do još boljih rezultata u budućnosti.

Ohrabreni uspehom Foodland-a, familija Minaković, koja iznajmljuje prostor za fabriku Foodland-u, našla je lokalnog partnera, izgradila hladnjaču i osnovala Minar frucht preduzeće koje trenutno zapošljava 50 radnika. Nova kompanija, koja je počela sa radom u junu ove godine, već je otkupila i delomično preradila oko 1,500 tona voća, uglavnom za izvoz.

Za više informacija o aktivnostima Mercy Corps molimo vas kontaktirajte Radoša Kandića na 063 324-816 ili rkandic@mercycorps.org.yu. Za više informacija o aktivnostima SEDP molimo vas kontaktirajte Timothy Collins na 063 234 269 ili tcollins@sedp.org.yu. Za više informacija o svim aktivnostima USAID-a u Srbiji, molimo vas pogledajte serbia-montenegro.usaid.gov ili pišite na dkahrmann@usaid.gov.

Ljubazno molimo novinare zainteresovane za praćenje ovih događaja da budu u selu Šljivovo, opština Aleksandrovac pored Minar i Foodland prostorija do 15 časova ili da kontaktiraju Radoša Kandića na 063/324-816 ukoliko im je potreban prevoz od Kruševca do Šljivova i nazad.

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