13 million EUR turnover, half a million profit
Last year’s revenue stood at almost EUR 13 million, with profit at half a million euros. The plans for this year are similar, as the current pace of investment continues. The company was created in 2009 when Vladimir Puklavec, an Ormož native, decided to invest some of the money he was making in oil and gas in Germany in his home country. Since then, the company has grown into the biggest, and one of the most decorated, producers of wines in Slovenia, thanks to the family bankrolling significant investments.
Owner Vladimir Puklavec has invested EUR 17 million just into production since the company was launched, which included replanting of 272 hectares of their 630 hectares of vineyard.
Earlier this month the company opened a boutique winery in Negotino, Macedonia worth EUR 1.6 million, an investment promoted by significant demand for high-quality white wines. The Puklavec estate specialises in whites – the entire east of the country is more focused on white wines – with red wines currently accounting for just ten percent of the entire output.
Herga said vintage 2018 was very good and the company was now waiting for the results of some of the biggest wine ratings, in particular from Decanter. “We expect good results and medals,” he said. The company last year made 42% of its sales in Slovenia. Croatia is their biggest foreign market, having last year overtaken the Netherlands. Poland and the UK are significant destinations for Puklavec wines as well.
Puklavec Family Wines is one of the biggest exporters of wine in Slovenia and sells to major retail chains as well as airlines including KLM, Brussels Airlines and Virgin Atlantic.
Puklavec Family Wines, the biggest winery in north-east Slovenia, turned the first profit last year after nearly a decade of intense investing. Director Mitja Herga calls it a breakthrough. The company has around 170 employees and runs wineries in Ormož and Ljutomer under the Puklavec Family Wines brand.
