Pasta and biscuits from Mali Idjos - EUR 1.5 million Renesansa factory to open in spring 2013

(future look of Renesansa factory)

An industrial park is slowly but certainly being developed in Mali Idjos. The Small Steps zone, situated halfway between Novi Sad and Subotica, expects another investor after Julija Mlin, which came here last year. The new tenant of the industrial zone, another food company, is coming from Vrbas.

The company Jana Komerc started building Renesansa factory on an one-hectare lot in May 2012. Exterior works are almost over, and the facility has already been roofed. As eKapija learned from Zita Nagy from the company Small Steps, which runs the namesake industrial zone in the smallest municipality in Vojvodina, the new factory is expected to be equipped during the winter, so it could be put into operation in spring.

- The production facility has the surface area of about 2,200 square meters. This company already operates a factory in Vrbas, wheres the factory in Small Steps is under construction because the company wants to relocate its production to our municipality. Besides, they will also expand their product portfolio. So far, only pasta has been produced under the brand Renesansa, while the factory in Feketic will also produce biscuits – says our interlocutor.

- The investment is worth about EUR 1.5 million – she adds.

Once it moves its factory from Vrbas to Feketic, Jana will keep all the existing workers and hire about 20 new people, so that the factory Renesansa in Small Steps will employ the total of about 60 workers.

The municipality of Mali Idjos has the population of about 13,500 and the surface area of only 18,100 hectares. Agriculture is the main activity in the north of Backa, where people grow wheat, corn and sugar beet on their fertile fields. That is why it is expected that food companies choose to invest in that part of Serbia. However, people in Mali Idjos point out that aside from providing great conditions for the food sector that is backed by agricultural production, this area also offers opportunities for founding small and medium-sized crafts companies.

People can buy Renesansa pasta in market chains Mercator, Idea, Aman, Maxi... The offer includes different types of macaroni, tagliatelle, spaghetti, couscous... As people at Small Steps told us, the company's intention is to offer products from the new factory in Feketic to markets outside Serbia.

The industrial zone Small Steps is located in the vicinity of the southern entrance to the territory of the municipality of Mali Idjos, next to the highway exit near Feketic. All land lots are in private possession, so that they can be rented or purchased. The land that is completely equipped with infrastructure occupies the area of 17 hectares, 13 ha of which are free. There are 17 building lots ranging in size from 0.5 to 3 ha.

The triangle-shaped zone is situated between the highway E-75, main route M22 and Mali Idjos. It is 51 kilometers away from Subotica, 54 km from Novi Sad and 138 km from Belgrade.

(roofing of the factory Renesansa)

The railway station in Mali Idjos is situated some four kilometers away from the industrial zone. It is connected with airports in Surcin (145 km) and Cenej (38 km), as well as with the Port of Novi Sad.

Industrial park, but tourism as well

In addition to being suitable for agriculture and the food industry, the industrial park in this municipality in northern Backa is also favorable for leather, metal and wood-processing industries, as well as for the production of tool machines.

Neither the municipality nor Small Steps itself support the arrival of companies that pollute environment because they find the development of rural tourism very important.

On the bank of the Krivaja Brook, at the foot of the hill Telecka, tourists can stay at the farm Katai or in the boarding house Pipac in Feketic. Guests in that boarding house can also visit a wine cellar, enjoy a chariot ride, hunt or get familiar with how the famous Feketic cherry is grown.

Mali Idjos and Small Steps presented themselves at this year's investment fair Investexpo in Novi Sad.

M.S.