Svetoslav Atanasov Business growth in 2023

Doing business in a situation of high uncertainty has become a new normal. It is evident that there will be challenges this year as well – inflation is still high, economists warn of recession, the situation in Ukraine is volatile. Encouraging impulses are that China is re-opening its economy, affecting the supply chain, as well as that we have avoided the announced energy crisis so far, thanks to a warm winter. 

We have to stay alert to both global trends and developments in the local market. Coca-Cola HBC Serbia and Montenegro enters the year with a solid, but flexible plan, ready to accelerate or revise it, depending on vibrations coming from the market. 

I am fortunate to work with a team of amazing people, ready for any challenge and supporting our consumers, customers and partners with the same passion. 

We are aware of the importance of strong and expansive partnerships we have, as cooperation is a way to overcome challenges together. We will continue to provide a strong contribution to dialogue and solutions, particularly in regard to sustainable practices, as our way forward. 

2. In December, the Dow Jones Sustainability Index, one of the leading global sustainability indices, ranked Coca-Cola HBC as the most sustainable beverage company in the world again. We also see that Coca-Cola HBC Serbia is recognized as a pioneer and leader in business sustainability. What would you say is crucial in this area?

The fact that the company which we are part of has been one of the top three most sustainable companies for 12 years in a row and that it is the leader in the industry for the sixth time confirms that our results have been recognized. 

We can no longer talk about industries in the context of issues anymore, as businesses have largely been transformed. Is it enough? Definitely not. But, such disruptive changes do not happen overnight and they often demand a change of habits and mindset, in addition to changes we can implement in our house. 

I am proud that Coca-Cola HBC Serbia has measurable results, which we publish in our annual Sustainability Report. 

We save resources by constantly reducing water and energy consumption in our processes. In regard to CO₂ emissions, all our bottling plants use 100% power from renewable sources and we have been introducing a green vehicle fleet and cooling equipment with lower emissions. 

We also innovate packaging in order to boost recycling. Last year alone, we had two big packaging novelties: KeelClip and gradual introduction of tethered caps. 

We provide relevant contribution via dialogue with the industry and institutions of the system, generating required positive change in priority areas. Currently, we are investing a lot of effort and know-how in talks with all stakeholders, in order to improve the packaging waste management system. 

3. The end of the year was marked by the presentation of the Socio-Economic Impact Study of the Coca-Cola system and Bambi for 2021. What results are you particularly proud of?

This study is unique in our market, based on a methodology developed by a Nobel Prize winner, and it provides a highly transparent overview of an impact of a healthy business on the entire economy. 

I firmly believe that businesses are here for people – and that is why I would underline that we support nearly 15 thousand jobs across the entire value chain or 0.5% of the whole labor market in Serbia. This means that each direct job in our system supports another eight jobs in the value chain. 

Our contribution to the economy has been growing as well. In 2021, still a pandemic year, we generated EUR 360 million of value-added, or 0.7% of GDP, whereas our contribution to tax revenue across the entire value chain was 1%. 

And, what is very important, as it confirms the local nature of our companies - each euro consumers spend on Coca-Cola and Bambi products made in Serbia contributes 70 cents in value to the local economy.

Behind all these figures, the most important element is our contribution to the socio-economic landscape in Serbia: relying on local suppliers, partner relations with buyers, safe jobs and partnership with communities. We continue to provide strong support to the development of the local economy and community.