Small team, big results: For TDR Skopje, success is not measured by the number of employees

In the business world, it is often believed that large companies must have hundreds or thousands of employees to generate high revenues – which is confirmed by the fact that some of the 200 LARGEST AND MOST SUCCESSFUL companies in Macedonia are also the largest employers.

But modern corporate operations show that there are exceptions to this rule.

Especially in companies that are part of large multinational groups such as the example of TDR Skopje , where local teams can be relatively small, while at the same time managing a significant volume of business activities thanks to well-organized processes, centralized support, and efficient use of resources.

One such example is TDR SKOPJE DOOEL Skopje, a company that is part of British American Tobacco (BAT) – one of the world's largest companies in the tobacco and nicotine products industry, founded back in 1902.

Through TDR Skopje, BAT products are also present on the Macedonian market, and the company has successfully positioned itself among the 200 LARGEST AND MOST SUCCESSFUL companies in Macedonia for years.

Over the last decade, BAT has been intensively transforming its strategy, directing significant investments towards developing products with reduced risk and creating a “smoke-free world.” Today, the company operates in dozens of markets around the world and is an example of a multinational business that combines global resources with a local presence.

" To build our vision for a Smoke-Free World, our goal is to become the dominant smoke-free business. We will achieve our goals by actively encouraging adult smokers to switch to smoke-free alternatives – essentially 'to switch to better'," reads the company's motto, published on its website.

BAT in Macedonia has begun its technological revolution, promoting 3 new categories with reduced risk: electronic cigarettes – VUSE, tobacco heating products – glo™   and nicotine pouches – VELO.

With this, BAT Macedonia has become the only company in this industry that is present on the market with all categories of reduced-risk products.*

"The world is changing, and with it we are transforming to build A Better Tomorrow™," the company emphasizes.

In Macedonia, TDR Skopje is part of BAT Adria, a regional organization covering the markets of Croatia, Slovenia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Macedonia, Kosovo, Albania and Montenegro. This organizational structure allows numerous business functions to be performed at the regional level, while the local company is focused on market development, sales and cooperation with partners.

Stable financial results despite a challenging year

Despite the fact that 2024 was significantly more challenging than the previous one, TDR Skopje continued to record positive financial results.

The company generated revenues of 3,378,605,115 denars , or approximately 54.9 million euros, which represents an increase of 8.55 percent compared to the previous year .

Profit before tax amounted to 19,439,416 denars or about 316 thousand euros, a decrease of 12.92 percent compared to 2023.

This result should not be viewed in isolation .

Namely, 2023 was an extremely successful year for the company, when pre-tax profit grew by almost 55 percent , so the comparison with such a strong figure naturally creates more moderate results in the following year.

At the same time, operating in conditions of higher operating costs, inflationary pressures, and changes in the business environment posed an additional challenge for many companies, hence the reduced profit percentage is not at all surprising, and the maintenance of revenue growth is a positive signal for the company's stability.

With these results, TDR Skopje ranked 92nd on the Ranking of the largest companies. in Macedonia, confirming that it continues to be a significant participant in the domestic market.

Impressive results with only 13 employees

What particularly attracts attention in the financial indicators of TDR Skopje is the ratio between the achieved results and the number of employees.

During 2024, the company worked with an average of 13 employees, while generating revenues of almost 55 million euros.

This means that on average, one employee earns more than 4.2 million euros in revenue, while pre-tax profit amounts to around 24,300 euros per employee.

Of course, these indicators should not be interpreted as the individual contribution of each employee, but as an indicator of the productivity of the business model and the efficient use of resources.

In economic analysis, revenue and profit per employee are some of the most important indicators of productivity.

In the case of TDR Skopje, they indicate a high level of organizational efficiency and optimal use of available resources.

Why do multinational companies operate with a small number of employees?

At first glance, it may seem unusual for a company with revenues of almost 55 million euros to have only 13 employees. However, this operating model is quite common among multinational corporations.

Many functions such as finance, IT support, human resources, marketing, logistics, procurement or regional management are often organized centrally, at the group level.

In this way, local companies work with compact teams, while at the same time having access to the knowledge, technology, and resources of the entire corporation.

This approach enables greater operational efficiency, faster decision-making, and better utilization of human and financial resources.

That is why the number of employees today is not the only criterion by which a company's success is assessed. Much more important indicators are productivity, revenues, profitability, and the company's ability to create added value.

Part of a global system with a local presence

Membership in BAT represents an additional competitive advantage for TDR Skopje. Working within one of the world's largest companies provides access to modern business practices, high corporate standards, innovative products and developed management systems.

At the same time, it allows the local company to be more flexible and efficient, and some of the administrative and operational processes to be implemented through BAT Adria's regional centers.

Such a model contributes to high productivity, but at the same time requires constant adaptation to market conditions, regulations, and changes in consumer habits.

Good prospects for further development

Financial indicators for 2024 show that TDR Skopje successfully maintains its position among the largest companies in Macedonia.

Although profit is lower compared to the extremely successful 2023, revenue growth, stable operations, and high productivity confirm that the company has an efficient business model.

At a time when more and more companies are investing in digitalization, process optimization, and rational use of resources, the example of TDR Skopje shows that success does not depend solely on the number of employees, but on the way operations are organized.

That is why TDR Skopje represents an interesting example of how a local company, as part of a global corporation, can achieve significant turnover, be highly productive, and continuously position itself among the largest and most successful companies in Macedonia.

TDR Skopje has been part of the 200 LARGEST AND MOST SUCCESSFUL for more than 15 years.

At the following LINK , see how the company was listed in the period from 2010 to the present.