Tradition
1905-2024
1905
The beginning
Our origins date back to 1905, when Valentin Reinhard opens a poultry purchase station in Ptuj. It represents a modest yet decisive step forward in the systematic purchase of poultry in Slovenia. In the decades that followed, the company begins to trade poultry throughout the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. In 1934, the business expands by exporting to England. Further milestones mark the journey from local producer to regional group, with vertically integrated production in four countries and sales in over 30 countries, where its products are being enjoyed by more than 3 million people every day.
1947
After World War II,
... Reinhard's capital assets are nationalised. As a result, in 1947 the company Perutnina Ptuj is founded. A number of innovations and investments follow, including the construction of our own poultry farms and our first hatchery and feed mill. In 1966, Perutnina Ptuj is renamed Mesokombinat Perutnina Ptuj and starts building the first large modern slaughterhouses and increasing hatching capacity.
1979
Growth period
In 1979, the slaughterhouse is modernised with state of the art equipment and capacity is increased to 8,000 broilers per hour. A period of growth and development follows. The upgrades provide us with the capacity to market our own products throughout Yugoslavia, making Perutnina Ptuj the largest producer of poultry meat in the region. In 1974, we launch POLI – the very first pasteurised chicken sausage – and begin to target difficult export markets. In 1984, we exceed 10 million dollars worth of exports to markets with convertible currencies, which was above average for the time. This period of growth is capped in 1990 with the construction of a new and modern poultry slaughterhouse complete with all the associated installations.
1992
Independent Slovenia
With the break-up of Yugoslavia in 1992 we are no longer able to serve the former common market, which is why the company undergoes a restructuring. We focus on the domestic market and on identifying export opportunities. In 2001, a period of acquisitions begins, leading to rapid growth in production and sales. The first major acquisition was PIPO Čakovec in Croatia, followed by the purchase and acquisition of Jata, d.d. and Kmetijski kombinat Ptuj, d.d. In 2003, we build a state of the art factory for prepared foods in Ptuj and increase our agricultural land area with the purchase of Agrokombinat Maribor.
2006
Accession of Slovenia to the European Union
In 2006, after Slovenia's accession to the European Union, Perutnina Ptuj takes the strategic decision to expand into Bosnia and Herzegovina, where we acquire our first chicken meat processing plant. Just two years later, we complete our largest foreign investment in a modern, fully equipped sausage and chicken meat product factory in Breza (Bosnia and Herzegovina), which we dub the City of Flavours. We acquire a majority stake in the Serbian poultry producer Topiko, d.d. based in Bačka Topola in Serbia, thus creating a fourth vertical production chain. During this period, we set up another three trading companies, first in Romania and then in Macedonia and Austria.
2018
Luka Dončić becomes an ambassador of the Poli brand
Luka Dončić, one of the best basketball players in the world and a star in the NBA, the world's strongest basketball league, becomes a Poli brand ambassador in 2018. The synergy between a top athlete and the best-selling chicken sausage in Europe is unparalleled in the region.
2019
New owner and record growth
In 2019, Perutnina Ptuj gets a new owner, MHP, which is currently the largest agrifood system in Europe. This is followed by the biggest investment and development cycle in the company's history, which ensures the company's remarkable growth that continues to this day. During this period, Perutnina Ptuj invests approximately EUR 160 million in the modernisation and expansion of its production capacity at the level of the entire PP Group. We close the 2023 financial year with record revenues of more than EUR 500 million, and record sales of more than 130 thousand tonnes of meat and products.
2024
50 years of Poli
In 2024, we will celebrate 50 years of our biggest hit, POLI – the best-selling chicken sausage in Europe – with various events across the region.
