Argeta currently employs 110 workers in production at the factory in Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a tendency to expand. This represents a significant contribution to the local economy and job creation. Argeta is present in the markets of as many as 27 countries around the world, which speaks of the global success of the brand. As many as six cans of Argeta are opened every second, which illustrates the high demand for the high-quality products they offer.
Argeta is proud of its position as the number one brand among meat and fish pâtés in Europe and BiH, and this position was built primarily thanks to the high quality of the product. The fact that they are prepared from carefully selected, best pieces of meat and fish, with the addition of 100 percent natural spices and vegetable oils, and are free of preservatives, artificial colors, artificial flavor enhancers and gluten, tells what kind of products they make.
– We listen to the wishes and expectations of our consumers and offer them a safe and high-quality product in the flavors they want. Atlantic Argeta Sarajevo is exclusively engaged in the production of delicatessen spreads only from pieces of clean meat, which sets us apart from other factories in the meat industry. Our mission is to offer the best meal in the most honest way, and we are constantly improving our recipes and preparation processes to achieve this. The secret of our continuous growth in the market lies in our honest and sincere attitude towards consumers, and in carefully listening to their wishes and needs. We have a large base of loyal consumers, but as a leader we have a great responsibility towards our consumers, as well as towards the environment and society. Moreover, we want to be transparent and honest, and all information about our products are available on our website, where you can find out everything about the production process – says Mirsada Kadribašić, senior brand building manager of Argeta, in an interview for Visit BiH Magazine.
On October 16, the “Homemade bread” that you made in cooperation with Konzum and Mercator, and the Slatko i Slano bakery, was placed on the BiH market. Do you already have any information on how consumers have reacted to this new product?
-According to information from our partners Konzum and Mercator, customer interest is high, and “Homemade bread” has taken a significant position among the top ten best-selling bakery products in less than a month.
What is specific about this bread compared to others?
-“Homemade bread” is special because it is inspired by different traditional recipes from BiH, which we came up with the help of ethnologist Svjetlana Bajić. In cooperation with her and the bakery Slatko i Slano, we developed a recipe for bread that is common throughout BiH. At the same time, this bread supports the local community because we use grains that are ground in BiH mills. In addition, we wanted to give the campaign a wider socially relevant purpose. That’s why we decided to financially support the Agricultural Crops Gene Bank, which preserves local seeds for future generations. This initiative provides lasting value to the community and makes “Homemade Bread” a product with a deeper meaning.
You said that “Homemade bread” is based on local recipes and ingredients. In this way, you support local producers. How important and necessary is the support of large companies in Bosnia and Herzegovina nowadays for local producers?
– Support for local producers is extremely important. Today, more than ever, large companies such as Argeta, Konzum and Mercator play an important role in supporting local producers because it contributes to the preservation of tradition, employment in the local community and strengthening of the local economy.
You said that you supported the efforts of the Gene Bank of the Faculty of Agriculture and Food of the University of Sarajevo in the project of storing local cereal seeds in the World Seed Bank in Svalbard. In what way did you support this project and what does that mean specifically?
– In addition to launching a new product, Argeta, Konzum and Mercator supported the efforts of the Gene Bank of the Faculty of Agriculture and Food of the University of Sarajevo in the project of storing local cereal seeds in the World Seed Bank in Svalbard. This support includes financial assistance for duplicating the most valuable parts of the seed collection and sending safety duplicate seeds to Svalbard to ensure their long-term safety. Preserving local seeds and genetic diversity is key to food security, environmental protection, cultural preservation, and adaptation to climate change. Agricultural gene banks play an important role in this process, preserving valuable genetic resources for future generations and research.
Argeta continuously provides support to local producers and this cooperation is of great importance. How much does Argeta use domestic raw materials in its production?
-Argeta uses domestic raw materials as much as possible in its production. This is part of our commitment to support local producers and ensure high quality raw materials for our products.
Why does Argeta place such a strong emphasis on the local community?
– We work according to the principle “think globally, act locally”. We follow world trends, but at the same time we constantly ask ourselves if we can pay even more attention to the local community, be even closer to the consumer. We are actively looking for those spheres of society in which we can make our contribution, improve, and advance them. We love being part of the local story and are proud to support a better and more prosperous future.
Argeta is known as a socially responsible company and there are indeed numerous projects in Bosnia and Herzegovina that receive support. From humanitarian to culture, sports, etc. How much does all this support mean to you and is there any project that you would particularly emphasize as positive?
– In business, we are guided by the corporate values of Atlantic Group, which are growth, care, openness and passion. These values form the basis of Atlantic Argeta Sarajevo. We emphasize product quality as one of the most important, because we want to offer our consumers high quality products. In addition, sustainability is another key value we promote. With a commitment to sustainability, we strive to reduce the environmental impact of our business and support socially responsible initiatives. In this way, we also gain trust, which is extremely important to us because we are aware that it is the basis of long-term relations with our consumers and partners. Reliability and product quality are key elements of our image as a company you can trust. We would also emphasize our long-standing partnership with the Sarajevo Film Festival, which is part of our sustainability program. Through this cooperation, Argeta supports culture and contributes to the development of the community, which realizes our values of growth and concern for society.
