Member Article

Last week, Greece's biggest tobacco company, "Seke", acquired four hectares of land in the industrial zone of Kruševo, Macedonia. It has been reported that the company's plan is to build a factory for tobacco processing there, and that the honorary investment in this case amounted to EUR 5 million. The main cause of interest in this area for Seke were the region's favourable conditions for tobacco growth, as well as the presence of good-quality, highly professional workers. The agreement stipulates that, while the factory is still being built, Seke will be allowed the use of a warehouse in which they will be able to operate with a million kilograms of tobacco that they have already ransomed from previously contracted harvesters from across Macedonia.

Alexandros Kontos, General Director of Seke, has praised the region's long-standing experience in working with tobacco, but also the forthcoming nature of the local people and authorities who have all played a significant part in the realisation of this project. Kruševo's Mayor, Gjorgi Damcheski, expressed mutual satisfaction with the deal, claiming that the factory may present something of a rebirth for the city and municipality, which have lacked in investments over the past couple of decades. The reports estimate 250-300 job positions to be generated by the opening of the factory, while the overall economic betterment brought on by these developments promises to offer many other far-reaching benefits.

Looking at the broader picture – in terms of the Macedonian market – it should be noted that Seke's investment is the first of its kind in this region of the country, thus putting the Kruševo industrial zone "Opaleni" into official operation. As the tobacco processing factory's construction is expected to be finalised by the end of the year, local authorities have already announced a number of incoming investments to follow.