The European Union (EU), through the EU PRO Programme, supported Stela MVP Group, a family wood processing enterprise in Resavica. The company owners, Milka and Vladimir Perović, used the grant to buy a trunk cutting machine they needed to complete the production cycle and substantially improve their business.
Stela MVP Group, an enterprise run by Milka and Vladimir Perović, is located in the town of Resavica in the Pomoravski District. This young couple, parents of two children, decided to launch their own business because they could not afford a normal life with the salary Vladimir, an economy graduate, was earning, while Milka, who finished nursing, was not working at the time. They were extremely motivated to start their own enterprise despite their lack of entrepreneurial experience. And that’s how Stela MVP Group that manufactures lumber, wood construction elements and pellets - came to be. “People in our municipality rarely venture into entrepreneurship. The very fact that we decided to launch our own business in Resavica was already quite a big step for us. The next step was to find the right niche, what we would do. Pellets were in huge demand when we started developing our business idea. And that’s where we saw our chance – both because of the climate we live in and the availability of the raw material. It was a great opportunity to offer a product nearly all households need at particular times of the year,” Milka and Vladimir candidly told, adding: “Our first steps were not easy. We bought a pellet production machine, but we still had to buy the sawdust (pellets are made of) from the local sawmills. At that point, we realised we needed more money if we wanted to really develop our business.”
“My husband was always on the lookout for various public calls through which we could secure funds to improve our manufacturing. At one moment the EU PRO Programme published the Public Call through which the EU supported enterprises. We submitted our project ,” says Milka, concluding: “We got the donation and, frankly, we were very happy, because, thanks to that grant, we got the chance to continue investing in production and expand our business
Stela MVP Group started developing its business with great success over the last year. The trunk cutting machine has helped it close the production cycle – the enterprise no longer has to buy sawdust. Thanks to the new machine, Stela MVP Group now cuts timber into planks, which it sells in the local market, and uses the sawdust to make pellets.
As a socially responsible enterprise Stela MVP Group has donated funds for the development of sports in its local community. “We launched our business three years ago and, as we grew, so did our wish to help the development of our local community. We decided to help out the Rembas football club, and donated them funds that they would use during the upcoming football season. We also helped the Children’s Sports School in Despotovac buy additional gymnastic equipment,” Milka and Vladimir said.
Increasing use of pellets for heating in their municipality is also confirmed by the fact that the Despotovac Health Centre switched to pellet heating this winter. Given that other institutions will do the same in the upcoming period, Stela MVP Group plans on donating a specific quantity of pellets to public institutions – from schools and kindergarten to old people’s homes and social institutions in their municipality.
The European Union, in cooperation with the Ministry of European Integration, supported over 200 micro and small enterprises and entrepreneurs through the EU PRO programme with over 4.3 million Euros. The funds were used to purchase new equipment that contributed to improving production and competitiveness and opening new jobs.