ZAGREB, 31 Aug, 2021 - An analysis of the Croatian Finance Agency (Fina) shows that in 2020, the businesses registered in Split-Dalmatia County had a consolidated net profit of HRK 571.3 million, down by 27% compared to 2019.

In terms of the total revenue in 2020, the Split-based Tommy retail chain topped the ranking with HRK 3.2 billion, and the Omiš-based Stuidenac ranked second, HRK 1.9 billion, and they were followed by the Vrgorac-based Pivac meat processing company, HRK 1.6 billion.

Last year, there were 15,308 businesses with their headquarters in Split-Dalmatia County.

Highest profit in 2020 made by sports betting company

Of them, the company with the highest profit was the Dugopolje-headquartered Hattrick-PSK bookmaker, HRK 242.1 million.

It was followed by the two shipbuilding companies, Brodotrogir (HRK 152.9 million) and Brodosplit (HRK 146.2 million)

Considering the number of employees on the payrolls of all those 15,308 businesses, the employed labour force was downsized by 2.8% from 2019 to reach 79,085 in 2020.

Tommy was the biggest employer, with nearly 3,000 people on its payroll. Studenac employed 2,456  workers in 2020.

According to Fina's data, last year, the total revenues earned by the businesses in this southern county came to HRK 48.5 billion, down by 8.4%, their expenditures were cut by 7.8% to HRK 47.5 billion.

(€1 = HRK 7.5)

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As Novac writes on the 26th of May, 2020, Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic, Minister of Agriculture Marija Vuckovic, MP Branko Bacic, Split-Dalmatia County Prefect Blazenko Boban and Vrgorac Mayor Ante Pranic recently visited the newly built meat production factory belonging to the Pivac Group in the Ravca business zone, which is located close to Vrgorac.

After visiting the Pivac Group's new factory, a meeting was held with Ivica Pivac, President of the management board of Braca Pivac, as well as Neven Pivac and Miljenko Pivac, who serve as members of the management board of the same company.

"I'd like to thank Mr. Ivica Pivac who presented this new factory, the largest prosciutto factory in this part of Europe. This marks a great investment near Vrgorac and one of the ways in which the Pivac Group, which operates in both Karlovac and Cakovec is securing jobs here in the Dalmatian hinterland. It employs almost 4,500 people and this also includes the latest investment in Kras in Zagreb. I'm glad that this production was done in a way that reflects the technology of prosciutto production in this part of Croatia and in the way it's very well recognised and appreciated by many consumers.

I'd like to congratulate them on this and I'm glad that they have excellent cooperation with the Ministry of Agriculture, and we heard today their plans for additional plants that will be built here. I'm sure that we'll find a way for such projects to receive support both at the national level and through European Union funds,'' said Andrej Plenkovic.

For years, the Pivac Group has firmly held onto its enviable position as the leader in the production of prosciutto on the Croatian market. A huge investment worth more than 120 million kuna in the construction of this newly opened modern prosciutto factory covering a ​​10,500 square metre area with a total capacity of 4,500 tonnes will push it even further forward, expanding Dalmatia's prosciutto production capacity along with it.

"The capacity of the new prosciutto factory, the largest not only in Croatia but also in the whole of Southeast Europe, is over 300,000 pieces of prosciutto and 2,500 tons of pancetta. In addition to increasing our production capacities, the new prosciutto factory will enable the Pivac Group to better position itself on the market, and in the long run, it will see it take a more significant step towards the European market,'' said Ivica Pivac.

"Since Dalmatian prosciutto is protected by a geographical indication (GI), it was crucial to preserve the traditional production conditions that are its most important characteristic. This means that all of the key elements of its production remain unchanged - salting it with sea salt obtained from Croatian salt pans, drying it in the Dalmatian bura wind and so on. It is precisely the traditional production conditions that guarantee the retention of the maximum taste and the aromatic properties of Dalmatian prosciutto ", explained the production director, Darko Markotic.

The production process will be carried out according to the highest standards, according to the specification of the protection of geographical indications and also in full accordance with the international standards of food quality and safety.

With the construction of the new prosciutto factory, the Pivac Group has completed the investment cycle that began with the project of expanding cooperation with Croatian pig breeders and investing in primary slaughterhouse processing, ie the expansion and modernisation of the slaughterhouse in Cakovec.

"These projects have enabled the maximum use of domestic raw materials in the Pivac Group as a whole, which, in addition to the entire range, also refers to the production of Dalmatian prosciutto and other durable cured meat products. By continuing to invest in production capacities and maximise the use of Croatian raw materials, we'll continue to strive to work for the benefit of the domestic economy and for rural development,'' said Ivica Pivac.

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