STRELA d.o.o. is a family company founded in 1991 in the south of Serbia. Our main activity is the processing of fruits and forest mushrooms for further industrial production.
We supply numerous restaurants and health-food outlets throughout Serbia with our premium final products, such as homemade “ajvar” (ground spiced roast peppers) and dried forest mushrooms. STRELA is a wholesaler of fruits and mushrooms, frozen fresh and dry. 90% of the production is exported. Our own plantations of cherries, plums, raspberries, blackberries, strawberries and blueberries – and our direct cooperation with many primary producers (through financial arrangements and professional support) – are reliable sources of safe and high quality raw materials. Modern standardised production and total storage capacity of 6,500 tons, enable us to offer to our customers the quality they deserve and the quantity they require. Our showcase product is the homemade “ajvar”, winner of the “Superior Taste Award” from the International Taste Institute in Brussels.
Year of establishment:
1991
Location:
Leskovac
Founder and owner:
Mijodrag Nedeljkovic
Business information
| 2021 | 2015 | 2010 | 2005 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full-time employees | 90 | / | / | / |
| Turnover (EUR) | 5.5 m | / | / | / |
| Export (EUR) | 3.8 m | / | / | / |
PRODUCTS/SERVICES
COMPANY DEVELOPMENT AND ENTREPRENEURIAL STORY
The company owner Mijodrag Nedeljkovic summarised STRELA’s story: “I have great respect for agricultural products because they fed many families in my village in the most difficult times and because I know how much time and effort it takes from planting to harvesting fruit. In a small underdeveloped village set amid natural environment, forest mushrooms and fruits were very important resource for my family and for other villagers. Inspired by the long tradition of picking these delicious and nutritious foods and by the possibility of processing them in different ways, I started buying wild mushrooms from the local farmers in order to resell them”. “Shortly after that and with a team of several employees and my own small refrigerator, I turned to exporting mushrooms and then expanded the business to fruits. Slowly but surely, STRELA recorded a steady development, so I can proudly say today that 31 years later STRELA has become one of the leaders in this industry.” STRELA’s mission is to supply the food market with quality product, safe tasty and ready for the end consumer. We achieve this primarily through constant investment in the development of production technology, staff training, and cooperation with local farmers.
CONTRIBUTION TO SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS
STRELA opens new management positions every year, and through good cooperation with educational institutions – such as the Faculty of Food Technology directly and through the dual education system – STRELA provides young people without experience with a career oportunity. In addition to professional training of new staff our company is constantly investing in modernisation of production. This is done through acquisition of new- technology-based processing machines, through production monitoring and through use of software for recording working hours. By doing so STRELA increases its effectiveness and efficiency. For our suppliers, small farmers, we organise annually trainings programmes where domestic and foreign experts give lectures on fruit protection, irrigation, pruning and more. STRELA’s suppliers also benefit from numerous forms of financial and professional support that we offer. These practices ensure STRELA’s continuous supply with high quality raw materials from numerous primary producers. We also offer our suppliers protection plans, made in accordance with domestic and foreign regulations while our agronomists are always available for questions and advice. In this way our manufacturers are guaranteed secure placement, STRELA and its customers have no fear of complaints about pesticides, while end customers enjoy a safe product. Recognising the importance of energy from renewable sources (for ourselves and the environment) STRELA has invested in the construction of a solar power plant on the roofs of all our production halls. Since 2022 most of our properties are covered with solar panels. Also, pits extracted from fruits such as cherries and plums, we use as firewood for heating and drying fruits. They burn very efficiently which means less harmful smoke for the environment and reduced waste.
