When talking about "IGM-Trade", it must be noted that this Kavadarci company, founded in the 1990s, is a true example of how a local business with the right idea, vision, and hiring the right people can grow into a regional and global player.

Founded as a company for trading in ferrous metallurgy products, today "IGM-Trade" is one of the largest manufacturers of welded steel pipes and profiles in Europe.

The company has been a proud member of the 200 LARGEST AND SUCCESSFUL family for decades , and in 2022 it took the high second place on the ranking list of the most successful.

But what is most important to note is the large number of investments that the company has made in recent times, which further contribute to its development.

According to data from the Customs Administration of Macedonia , "IGM-Trade" is one of the largest investors in the country, with capital investments in 2023 in the amount of 15 million euros , while the value of exports achieved by the company is estimated at 120 million euros.

Investments in Slovenia for better positioning on the European market

"IGM-Trade" is an export-oriented company, which exports 95% of the total production in the factory in North Macedonia to European markets.

As part of the company's investment strategy, in 2015, IGM-Trade acquired the former Slovenian ALPOS factory located in Šetnjur, Slovenia.

"This investment offers a number of technological, logistical and marketing advantages and allows the company to increase its presence in EU markets and offer even better service to its customers in Western Europe," the company states on its website .

The factory began production in 2017 with a capacity of 100,000 tons per year.

But the capital investments in this Slovenian "branch" of "IGM-Trade" they don't stop here.

According to reports in the Slovenian media , ALPOS plans to expand production in the coming years and provide an additional 100 jobs, bringing the total number of employees to around 165.

Except in Slovenia, "IGM-Trade" invests in production capacity in Bulgaria, which will further increase its presence in European markets.

Greenfield investments in North Macedonia

Apart from this brownfield investment in Slovenia, "IGM-Trade" continues to invest in "greenfield" investments in North Macedonia.

In 2014, the company invested in land located 2 km from the city of Negotino, where it began construction of the "IGM Industrial Park" .

After many years of work, today the company offers for rent or sale facilities intended for light and non-polluting industry, as well as warehouse space.

It is an industrial park located on an area of 312,900 ^m2 ( of which 247,910m² are useful premises, 45,025m² are used for green areas, roads and pedestrian paths, and 19,965m² are intended for parking space ) .

What makes this industrial park attractive to future investors is its good geographical positioning.

The park is located just 1 km from the Skopje - Thessaloniki highway, 5 km from the Krivolak railway station, 70 km from the Skopje airport and only 128 km from the port of Thessaloniki.

Investments in renewable energy

In addition to building new capacities, IGM-Trade has been one of the largest investors in the production of electricity from renewable sources in recent years.

This investment not only has a major impact on the company's operations, whose results largely depend on electricity costs, but also contributes to greater economic stability of North Macedonia as a country.

Namely, the period is not so far away when we found ourselves in the midst of an energy crisis due to excessive import dependence, due to which a large number of industrial companies in the country suffered major consequences.

In 2022, IGM-Trade will put six photovoltaic power plants into operation, and with the decision of the Regulatory Commission , the commissioning of 3 more new power plants was announced as of December 2022, which will increase total production to 5 MW.

With this decision, "IGM-Trade" has become one of the largest investors in electricity production from renewable sources.

Positive financial results even in times of crisis

2023 was a turbulent year for the industrial production of metal pipes in Europe. According to official data , due to the consequences of the war in Ukraine and the energy crisis in Europe, a decline in production of about 1.5 - 2.4 % was recorded , which certainly reflected on the operations of our "giant".

In 2023, the amount of total revenue of "IGM-Trade" amounted to 9,565,452,851 denars , while the amount of profit before tax is 990,053,276 denars.

Namely, the company, compared to the previous year, 2022, recorded a decrease in total revenues of 2.10 % , and a decrease in profit before tax of 50.77 %.

In terms of the ranking of the largest companies , in 2023 the company jumped 3 places (according to revenue) and came in 20th position, while in the ranking of the most successful (according to profit before tax), "IGM-Trade" fell by 10 positions and came in 12th place compared to the previous year.

But that does not mean that the company is operating at a loss; on the contrary, "IGM-Trade" continues to be one of the most profitable Macedonian companies, contributing to the development of the overall Macedonian economy.