Croatia’s Fontana opens storage facility in ongoing expansion

"We have recently entered into a new storage and we are intensively in talks with local and foreign partners for another one," Matija Fontana, CEO and founder of Fontana, said in an emailed statement to SeeNews.

The newly-opened fulfillment storage centre, named Warehouse 3PL.hr HUB, has a capacity to store up to 4,000 pallets. It is located in Zapresic, some 20 kilometres from the centre of Zagreb, near major highways. Besides storage, it is designed to provide micrologistics services to the e-commerce sector including sorting out and packaging, while Fontana’s sister company Virtual Office Croatia offers assistance with administrative services to small and medium-sized businesses.

Fontana's goal is for the new storage facility to meet not only the current demand of the market but also to support growth and innovations, the CEO added.

The company is still evaluating options for the location and capacity of the upcoming storage centre, with the CEO noting that decisions will depend on various factors, including ongoing discussions with potential partners, the company’s performance in 2024, and an analysis of market demand.

The company plans to finance its expansion by a combination of own funds and a capital injection from potential partners. It does not consider using loans. Instead, it would apply for European Union funds, if there are appropriate tenders.

The CEO declined to name any potential investors before any specific deal is signed.

Last year, the company received an offer for a takeover of a majority stake from an international corporation. However, it opted to decline the offer due to the investor's unwillingness to accept its conditions.

"Our goal is to keep on growing with an innovative market approach and development of new services, which we consider a key value of our company," he added.

The company generated revenue of some 261,500 euro in 2022, up from some 203,000 euro in 2021, according to data by Finance Analytics - Dun & Bradstreet consultancy.

($ = 0.928 euro)