Pekabesko AD, Ilinden is one of the most successful Macedonian companies.

It is a privately owned company, whose main activity is the production of cured meat products and distribution of consumer products.

In 2023, Pekabesko AD ranked 48th on the ranking list of the largest companies in North Macedonia and 136th on the ranking list of the most successful companies.

The company achieved total revenue of 5,540,269,400 denars and an increase in profit before tax of 153,526,024 denars.

In percentage terms, the amount of revenue growth compared to the previous year 2022 is 3.40% , while the growth in profit before tax is a solid 33.86%.

The company provides a secure livelihood for over 420 employees, and in recent years, in addition to being considered a leader in the food industry in our country, it is an export-oriented company, which also markets its products on foreign markets.

Thanks to these financial indicators, Pekabesko has recorded a jump in the rankings within the 200 LARGEST AND SUCCESSFUL in North Macedonia.

But how did the story of this company begin, and how did Pekabesko AD manage to survive for more than 4 decades as one of the largest and most successful companies in our country?

From an agricultural combine to a leader in meat processing

Pekabesko traces its roots to the representative office of the then largest Agricultural Corporation PKB Belgrade, which was opened in Skopje in 1971, with the aim of distributing the company's products on the territory of North Macedonia, Southern Serbia and Kosovo.

Eight years later, in 1979, the PKB company formed an independent legal entity on the territory of the Republic of Macedonia, which was known under the name PKB Skopje.

In 1991, PKB Skopje became one of the first fully privatized companies in North Macedonia, in accordance with all privatization laws.

According to Anatol Kutrevski, the company's second CEO, this was the most difficult period for the company in its 40 years of existence.

In an interview with club200, the CEO, answering the question of what was the biggest challenge for the company, said:

"The most difficult years were the years after the collapse of the former Yugoslavia, when the country faced the loss of markets in which it bought and sold goods, as well as wars, embargoes and crises that significantly worsened the conditions for doing business and reduced the purchasing power of citizens."

In 1998, the company began to write new history, thanks to the construction of a small plant for the production of cured meat products, and the cured meat products, known under the Pekabesko brand, began to be sold on the market.

Following the success achieved in the first years after the brand's founding, the company built a new factory for deli products in 2003 with a capacity of 260 tons per month.

This year is significant, because the company decides to rename itself from PKB Skopje to Pekabesko AD, as a result of the great success and market recognition of their products.

Today, the range of deli products includes a variety of types of durable, smoked and semi-durable products, and over 400 different products are distributed daily through their well-developed distribution network.

Since 2008, Pekabesko has fully implemented the HACCP quality standard, an important management system that is included in every step from the processing of raw materials to the production of the finished product, which guarantees the production of a safe and quality product.

The following year (2009), the company received the prestigious Macedonian Superbrand recognition.

This was followed by a period of even greater expansion of the company.

In 2012, Pekabesko opened a new Production and Logistics Center in the village of Kadino, Ilinden.

The center has an area of 19,700 m² and is built according to all European and HACCP standards for the production of delicatessen products.

This plant has a production capacity of 35 tons per day, and has an extensive distribution network and warehouses with 7,500 pallet spaces in all storage modes.

In 2016, Pekabesco became a certified company with the international standard ISO 22000:2005, and the certification was carried out by the prestigious international certification company TÜV NORD CERT.

In order to improve quality, in 2017 Pekabesko established the laboratory for technical testing and analysis TIMKO LAB, which is accredited according to the international standard ISO 17025.

In 2018, Pekabesko received a number for export to the European market and was placed on the list of approved facilities of the European Commission for food exports from the Republic of North Macedonia.

Today, Pekabesko is a brand with well-known and proven quality, and continued growth and development are something the company will strive for in the future.

The company is today among the largest exporters in North Macedonia, and Pekabesko's products are represented both in stores in the region and on European markets.

Pekabesko today is not only synonymous with quality and good taste, it is synonymous with a company that persists and faces all challenges (covid pandemic, increased competition) in the family of the LARGEST AND SUCCESSFUL companies in North Macedonia.