Izudin Ahmetlić HIFA OIL Group: Europe is looking for new winners

Zagreb's weekly "Privredni vijesnik" in its latest June issue published an interview with the owner and director of HIFA OIL Group from Tešanj, Izudin Ahmetlić, which is being transmitted in its entirety.

Among the leading wholesalers of oil and petroleum products in BiH? Meet us a little with Hifa OIL group, company and daughter companies. What do you do all about, what is the annual turnover, employees, profits, exports, how many countries do you do?

Over the past 15 years, HIFA OIL Group has grown into a respectable group of companies operating in various business areas such as the distribution of oil, petroleum products and energy products, the distribution and production of metal and PVC products, and the purchase and distribution of agricultural products.

We are the leaders in the trade of petroleum and petroleum products in BiH, with 20% of the share in the domestic market of white petroleum products, and the first is in the distribution of black derivatives in the domestic and the markets of the region in the field of asphalt construction in Austria, Slovenia, Croatia and other countries of the region. Together with the companies EURO ROAL, EURO METALI, EURO STIL, EURO POWER, PETROBIT, BITROL Slovenia, and German LB.Profile,

The total turnover of our companies has already reached the amount of close to 500 million KM, and the profit is counted in the two-digit millionth, but I build my business besides these parameters on other bases and postulates.

HIFA OIL Group employs a total of 257 workers. Just for the sake of essence, I want to emphasize that 42% of the total staff in the company are HIFA OIL's highly educated staff, but with the highest average between 26 and 35 years of age, and with other companies, the averages are much better giving me an additional motive to improve and develop everything of the company, because it makes me the greatest resource that we can have - people.

EURO ROAL, a subsidiary of the daughter of HIFA OIL Group, bought recently the German company LB Profile with the longest tradition in the manufacture of door and window profiles. The first is the foreign acquisition of HIFA OIL. What's the matter?

Exactly. News echoed across the region. It is the fact that our first foreign strategic acquisition will enable our EURO ROAL as the leader in BiH to distribute aluminum, Inox and now PVC profiles, in addition to strengthening its position on the domestic market, even more strongly perform on the markets of the region and the EU. This is our seventh daughter company and the first in Germany, which has been developing windows and doors for more than 50 years with huge competence, cutting-edge technology and accumulated knowledge. Our goal is a domestic, regional and European market with strong HIFA OIL and with our technologically superior daughter companies. In this regard, we are currently in talks with regional partners in which we are finalizing agreements on entering the neighboring markets.

You just received the SBF Bridge prize at the Sarajevo Business Forum and announced new domestic and foreign acquisitions, strengthening in the segments of distribution and retail. What are the plans for 2017?

First of all, we are pleased that we are recognized by this important jury as a business year. It is a great recognition of the long-term work of all our employees and management. Our brand has become synonymous with success and quality, not only in domestic, but also in regional and EU markets, from Austria to Bulgaria, via Albania, and back to Slovenia. The goal of our new domestic and foreign acquisitions, as well as strengthening in the distribution and retail segments, is further growth and development, in terms of achieving even better market positions. We can not speak at this moment about what this is, but I can only say that we remain, in that sense, within the framework of the development of existing businesses.

Many do not know that you are among the first in the distribution of black products on domestic and regional markets in the field of asphalt construction in Austria, Slovenia, Croatia and other countries in the region?

The company has a leading position in the distribution of black derivatives in BiH, and on the markets in the region we have the status of the most serious and most competent distributor, which is discussed with the largest companies in the field of asphalt construction in Austria, Slovenia, Croatia and other countries of the region. Last year was completed with total quantity realization of about 300,000 tons of various derivatives in 9 countries of the region.

Also, the recertification was carried out according to the ISO 9001 standard. HIFA OIL was re-elected as the best supplier for NATO forces in BiH. With the agreement on supplying airline JET A1 with fuels, HIFA OIL has contributed to raising the level of competitiveness of the International Airport Sarajevo. In that sense, we already supply Turkish Airlines and Wizzair, and we are also negotiating with other airlines that operate from Sarajevo Airport

You do not like when they rank you (according to Forbes) among the very top richest BiH entrepreneurs. Why is not that crucial to you? What is more important in the life of an entrepreneur?

The company and its brand is important. Important staff are both safe and satisfied customers. The development and preservation of the environment is important. The social moment and the human feeling for all those who do not have or are in trouble are important, not measuring them and not acting on any basis. It is important that we all live together in an economically strong and stable Bosnia and Herzegovina, but also throughout our region. Only then can they be fulfilled as a man and a businessman.

In addition to oil, one of the business segments is agricultural production, and you have taken over the food industry Bosanka Doboj. Are you returning to sources, since you are a graduate engineer of agronomy ... what are the plans?

Food production should be one of the strategically important segments of the state, and so on ourselves. We will strive in this area to ensure the stability and breadth of the purchase and distribution of primary agricultural production with a focus on Bosnian autochthonous varieties, which we have always been valued on the markets. The potentials of Bosnia and Herzegovina in that sense are enormous. However, it is such an economic branch that requires a greater strategic presence of the state. I personally consider, and I think that I share the opinion of most farmers throughout Bosnia and Herzegovina, that is, people who live from their work, that we need the Ministry of Agriculture at the state level, in order to be able to respond to the demands and challenges that arise in this authorities. The fragmentation of competencies for investors, but also for farmers, is slowly slowing down.

You also bought terminals in Zenica; what are the capacities and plans?

Capacity of overhead and underground reservoirs "Liquid Fuel Terminal Zenica" is 12.840,00 m3. By purchasing the Terminal, HIFA OIL became the company for the trade and distribution of oil with the largest private terminals in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which made the company's market position considerably improved.

In addition to strengthening competitive advantages, there is also the security of supplying the oil market in the longer term. HIFA OIL is now in the position to be the market leader in the development of road and rail transport as the company with the largest private terminals in the country. In this way, HIFA OIL contributes to the development of the industry of Zenica and all of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

And your company started from Tešanj. What is the "X" factor that is the factor?

There is a lot, as you say, "factor X", and in my opinion, the most important factor from which all is beginning is people. The winner's mind is what adorns our people. We do not have to worry about defeat. We act independently and take care of our own destiny. Fortunately, the socio-realistic way of thinking, living and working did not do much harm to us. We are fast, and agile, able to launch our own initiative, thoughtfully and responsibly. Also, for stability and development, the continuity of implementation of local policies is necessary. And here we are able to choose the best representatives and give them a mandate, but also a responsibility. Nevertheless, there are many challenges ahead of me and I think in this sense Tesanj, as the center of development, but also the state as a whole in terms of our relationship with advanced regions and regions, need to respond to many development issues in front of us, not only economic, but also public, communal, infrastructural, educational, cultural, social and every other segment of modern life.

You are the author of the winged EXPORT OF LIFE.

It's salvation in export. We are a small market in order to plan our overall growth and development exclusively in domestic frameworks. Given the geostrategic position and the proximity of a very powerful and financially strong EU market, I believe that we have enormous potentials to profile in some of the business segments as a strong export destination. The key task is to raise the level of competitiveness, and this by further generating new knowledge and skills in order to enhance the quality of products and services. I think that the HIFA OIL Group is in that direction on a good way. On the other hand, I feel that Europe is just looking for new winners, and that we who come from small markets and from small countries have some sympathies in this regard. Once, almost 15 years ago, when we started our business, I said that it's time for success to not matter if you are small or big fish, but are you fast or slow fish. Because, small fish are faster and will not allow them to be eaten.

Where is Croatia in your plans?

It is quite logical that the neighbors of Bosnia and Herzegovina, so if we do it through the municipality and of course our companies are crucial in the segment of regional cooperation development. It would be completely unnatural to be based on some distant markets and you did not set a good foundation for cooperation in a region with which you can do a lot of things together. HIFA OIL is one of the key distributors of oil derivatives, of course, including the daughters of the company in the metal and aluminum industry, and this was recognized by all the companies that work with us. We provide quality business support and a long-term approach to business partnerships. We are proud of the quality of cooperation with companies in Croatia and I believe that this level can only grow.

I know that you personally and as a company / company often help and value you as a socially responsible company? What does that mean for you?

This is a special satisfaction. In our tradition, the hand that gives is better and more valuable than the receiving hand, but it is precisely because the hand that gives it has greater responsibility and therefore a commitment. I consider that living with people and not having this kind of empathy towards the community is not human. I'm not talking about it often, because I think it's better that our works speak about us.