Salty finger foods from village that has it all - Step into Marbo company

"Marbo Product", one of the leading Serbian and regional producers of finger foods and a part of a multinational company "PepsiCo", this year has recently celebrated two decades of business. At the same time, twenty years of "chipsy" brand, the first brand in the portfolio of "Marbo Product".

We went therefore to Vojvodina, in Maglic, a village whose slog is "a village that has everything". And it really is so because apart from developed infrastructure, lovely nature, swimming pools and sports courts, it has one of the most modern plants we have visited. We peeped though the company doors where some of best sellers in Serbia are produced.

We have not succeeded in seeing everyone, not because the process is a secret but for the fact that main part of production is automatic. We have not even noticed a single drop of water or a production leftover. Hygiene is better than in a drugstore but entrance controls and standards are also at the high level. Protective masks, gloves for nail polish, ban of entrance in skirts, sometimes can be procedures which can be tolerated. It was not the case in "Marbo”.

Portfolio of "Marbo Product", apart from "chipsy", comprises today brands "pardon", "clipsy" and "gud". Nearly half of the sale is generated in the region – Croatia, Slovenia, Macedonia, Greece, Montenegro, Albania. Bulgaria and Romania, in west European countries– Belgium, Netherlands and France as well as UAE.

- Since the acquisition of "PepsiCo" in 2008, we poured significant assets in production department in Maglic, fund were invested in a modern line for production of potato chips as well as in waste water treatment facility. Today, our plant is among the most modern ones of this type in Europe and is one of the most representative examples of safe working place - Michail Orfanoudakis, Commercial Manager at "PepsiCo" for West Balkans outlined.

"Marbo Product" procures potato from more than 10 farmers from entire Serbia and cooperates closely with local producers. Apart from that, with an annual procurement of some 35.000 tons of potato, "Marbo Product" is one of its biggest industrial buyers.

More than 500 people is employed in Maglic plant which makes "Marbo Product" an important employer in local community. Today, "PepsiCo" in West Balkans, through "Marbo Product" in Serbia and "Marbo" doo in Bosnia and Herzegovina, employs 1.200 people and has two production departments – one in Maglic in Serbia and the other one in Laktasi in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

(Michail Orfanoudakis) In 2015, "Marbo Product" got certificate Top Employer" Serbia 2015 delivered by the Institute of Top Employer from the Netherlands and in 2014, it won award for the best employer by "Infostud" in a very competitive category of food producers.

Also, in 2014, the plant in Maglic had an independent audit of the system of health and safety and environmental protection (GEHSMS). Final result brought plant in Maglic to the first position in Europe and the second in the world among all "PepsiCo" plants which were the subject to this audit.

"Marbo Product" expects even better penetration to local and regional markets and continuation of investments and support to local community it operates in.

J.DJ.