Zito d.d.
Listed on the Ljubljana stock exchange since 2000, Zito is Slovenia's
biggest manufacturer of bread, pasta, flour, pastries, sweets,
frozen foods and, even chewing gum. The company has been around
for 50 years but the roots for several of its brands date back
to late 1800's. Revenues total $100 million. Zito was added to
my list primarily due to being Slovenia's biggest producer of
chocolate. During my travels the previous two years in Belgium
and Switzerland I visited a large number of chocolate and cookie
makers and so it's only natural to see how a Slovenian manufacturer
stacks up.
I'm about four miles from Ljubljana's city center and standing
in a McDonald's parking lot. Adjacent to the right is the city's
largest enclosed shopping mall and to the left of me stands Zito's
four-story head office with a large factory facility in the rear.
Directly behind McDonald's is a store with a Zito sign atop so
I check it out as it's probably a Zito factory outlet. Boy, the
store carries a whole range of food products and everything in
here couldn't possibly be manufactured by Zito.
The head office building was probably built in the 1960's. Checking
in with the receptionist I count four plants (real) in the no-frills
reception area. Don't see any candy or chocolate samples or even
photos of company products on the walls. There's a small blue
sofa and chair for visitors. It seems no one knows anything about
my letter of introduction mailed a month ago to Chairman and
CEO Iztok Brici. However, Breda Gorjup, Export Manager, agrees
to answer my questions.
It's not much of a visit though as the lobby is as far as I get.
About 300 out of a total of 2,200 employees work here in the
headquarters/factory. Employee parking is free and plentiful
and those who bicycle to work enjoy semi-covered parking. There's
no smoking in offices and no company cafeteria-though there are
vending machines. It's 300 meters to the nearest freeway and
20 miles to the airport. Any employee perks? A puny 5% discount
on Zito goods. That onsite Zito factory store I checked out earlier
turns out not to be "one of a kind" but, part of a
chain of more than 20 such stores.
My request to see CEO Bricl's office and the boardroom is turned
down. I also leave with zero goodies. NOTE: Visiting Swiss &
Belgian chocolate and cookie concerns I started keeping track
of whether or not product samples were offered to visitors and
if I was given goodies upon my departure.
Company website: www.zito.si
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