The story of the Gajić family from Bijeljina demonstrates that, through a clear vision and unity, even the demanding European market can be conquered. After returning from working in Russia, the three brothers invested their capital into the production of beehives. Today, their company employs 20 workers, uses exclusively domestic raw materials, and exports over 20,000 sets annually to 11 European Union countries.
After a two-year stay in Russia, where they acquired their initial capital, the three Gajić brothers returned to their homeland with a clear goal.
In 2016, they founded the company “Medeks”, specialising in the production of beehives.
Although the beginning was challenging due to strong competition, a clear focus on quality opened the doors to the global market for them.
The key to success lies in adhering to environmental standards, using domestic raw materials, and the support of relevant institutions that enables the continuous modernisation of the plant.
– I would like to commend the good cooperation with the Ministry of Economy and Entrepreneurship, which has supported us all these years with incentives of up to 40 per cent of the invested funds. We invest these funds every year in the modernisation of machinery and the improvement of production, which further increases our production capacity – said Danimir Gajić, director and owner of the company “Medeks”.
The company currently produces around 2,000 sets of beehives per month, or over 20,000 per year.
There are currently 20 workers employed at the “Medeks” plants, and there are plans to expand the team, as well as to enter new markets and new production areas.
They do not need warehouse space – everything they produce is sold immediately.
– We only looked to focus on quality and thereby slowly break into the market. Through quality, we have persevered so far, and I believe we have become leaders, even in Europe, in beehive production. We maintain our price, and the price-to-quality ratio remains the same. A poor practice of our companies is to lower prices and lower quality, thereby losing the market. We have always maintained a price that is acceptable and production that is renewable so that we can invest in new machinery – said Dario Gajić, from the procurement and sales department.
Modern technological processes make work easier for the employees, half of whom are women. The working atmosphere and regular income are the reasons why workers stay here for years.
– I mainly work on assembling products that are placed in Germany, the Czech Republic, Sweden, Spain, and France. We are mostly involved in assembling beekeeping products – points out Zorica Đogatović, a worker at “Medeks”.
Jasmina Baraković, a worker at this enterprise, states that she works from the assembly table to the machines.
– I work on the thicknesser and the rip saw; I work on several machines. It is not a difficult job for a woman at all – she adds.
Joint work and family harmony between the three brothers are a guarantee of further development. By the end of this calendar year, the number of employees will increase to 25, while the plans for next year are even more ambitious.
– We have high-quality machinery at our disposal; four more machines are currently being procured, which will make the work easier, faster, and improve its quality – states Danijel Gajić, co-owner of the company.
For next year, the construction of a new production plant with an area of 2,500 square metres is planned.
The story of the Gajić brothers is the best proof that a clear vision, quality, and family harmony can be transformed into a recognisable European brand, providing a livelihood for both their family and dozens of other workers from the local community.
