1. Your company is one of those with a long tradition. Tell us a little more about what has kept Dauti on top for these 30 years?

Elham Dauti: Dauti-Komerc, with its 30 years of experience, has become a regional leader in the field of consumer goods distribution. We follow the development, trends and innovations of the markets in the world and we implement those professional standards and decisively respect them in our daily work. Our partners and associates know this better, and so far it has proven to be a successful formula for our company. Our motto is: Tradition, Trust and Safety.

2. Tell us about the biggest challenges you have encountered in these 30 years since Dauti-Komerc has been in existence?

Elham Dauti: At Dauti-Komerc, everyday life itself is a challenge. In these 30 years, we have gone through many challenges, but with the best team of managers, we managed to respond positively and successfully to all of them. Every decade brings its own challenge, ever since the company was founded in the 90s. Since trade and movement of goods are free, our focus is always on market monitoring and that is our challenge.

3. In 2022, the Covid crisis was still felt. How big has the impact of this medical and economic crisis been for you given that you have had an increase in total income? Was it necessary to take drastic measures to deal with it?

Elham Dauti: Even that time was a new experience, how to manage in a time of crisis, when everything was closed. Fortunately, that situation was overcome. We are a large company, which means that we had stockpiles of food products. Difficulties were presented in the area of turnover of goods, because there were restrictions and it had a direct impact and caused a crisis in international transport. The return to normality was marked by an increase in general consumer prices, as a result of the shortage.

4. You have many famous brands that you work with. How do you work, what techniques do you use for the needs of the different types of products that you distribute?

Elham Dauti: As a company, we specialize in the distribution of consumer goods. Sale of goods from imported and domestic brands for which the company is a distributor in the country. It includes market chains, local distributors and large consumers. And distribution takes place through specialized commercial Divisions, namely: Milk & Meat Division, Food & Drinks Division, Hygiene & Cosmetic Division, Micro Distribution, Coffee Shop and Fruit & Vegetable.

5. One of the new projects you are working on is the Export Center. When is it expected to be ready, for what capacity of goods is it planned? How much share is it expected to have in the overall operation of the company?

Elham Dauti: The space of the Export Center will have an area of 30 thousand square meters and will have a capacity of 50 thousand tons of goods and will be according to modern trends. The company continuously realizes capital investments in increasing logistics capacities. The center is imposed as a necessity for the development of the company, which is aimed at exporting local products to European markets and will be the driver of business in the country. We transform the way of commerce in a more advanced form. Domestic producers alone do not have the power to be on the EU and US markets, but we are specialized in the distribution part and will create new opportunities.

6. How Dauti-Komerc overcomes the competition in the market, what strategies do you use?

Elham Dauti: Dauti-Komerc has proven to be a respectable company with its local, regional and international partners. The company builds on the principles of trust, loyalty and perseverance, and only in this way it realizes its development plans. Our strategy is a flexible and correct approach to customers.

7. Do you currently have any news or plans for the future period, what can we expect from Dauti-Komerc in the near future?

Elham Dauti: Our main focus will be the export of goods to the EU from domestic producers and from producers from the region. We export to Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Slovenia, Austria, Switzerland, Sweden, France, Italy, Germany, and we are also exploring opportunities for placement in the Middle East and the USA. In addition, in the last period we have been seriously focused on participating in international tenders and NATO tenders.

8. How have the recent years of Dauti’s export orientation been from a financial point of view? 

Elham Dauti: In 2021, on the basis of export documents, Dauti-Komerc has realized a turnover of EUR 700,000, and for the same period in 2022, it has EUR 2,000,000, and in 2023, until September, it had a turnover of EUR 3,500,000. Many factors contributed to that positive trend, in addition to commercial activities, part of which are the benefits of easing tariff and non-tariff barriers. Export orientation has new challenges, but it has a serious perspective.

Elham Dauti, Sales manager in Dauti-Komerc