Cermat Invests in the Next Chapter of Production and Growth

The EBRD’s proceeds will be used for expanding the production capacity of Cermat, through construction of a new production and storage facility and acquisition of new production equipment.

Growth means making room for what comes next. For Cermat, that means new production capacity, a new production and storage facility, modern equipment and the expertise to make the most of all of it. We are putting €11 million behind that next chapter, with financing of up to €11 million supported by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and the Global Environment Facility (GEF). The financing includes €9.1 million from the EBRD and €1.9 million from the GEF.

The financing includes €9.1 million from the EBRD and €1.9 million from the GEF. Together, it will support the expansion and modernization of our production operations as we continue to grow in North Macedonia and in the international markets we serve. For us, this is a significant investment in what comes next. It is also a natural continuation of what we have been building for years: a food production business from Bitola with the ambition, experience and capabilities to compete well beyond it.

Making Room for What Comes Next

Cermat has grown from its home in Bitola into one of Macedonia’s leading ice cream producers, with our products reaching customers across the United Kingdom and European Union and an expanding presence throughout the Western Balkans.

Growth brings new possibilities, but it also brings new demands. More customers, more markets and more products require production systems that can keep pace without compromising the standards behind them. Our new facility will give us that space.

Expanded Production and Storage Capacity

Together with new equipment, will allow us to increase productivity, improve efficiency and create a stronger foundation for future growth. Just as importantly, it gives us the opportunity to rethink how our operations work as a whole, bringing technology, infrastructure and expertise together under one larger vision.

Better Equipment. Better Processes. Better Thinking.

Modernizing a production facility is about much more than replacing one piece of equipment with another. It is an opportunity to ask better questions about how we produce, how we use energy and resources, how we organize our operations and how we can keep improving as we grow.

It is an opportunity to ask better questions about how we produce, how we use energy and resources, how we organize our operations and how we can keep improving as we grow. Our partnership with the EBRD brings additional expertise in areas such as energy and resource efficiency, operational standards and relevant certifications. Through the EBRD’s Blue Ribbon Programme, we will also have access to advisory support aimed at strengthening our business practices and building the knowledge we need for the next stage of development.

Circular economy principles are part of that thinking too, from the way we approach resources and utilities to the design of our new facilities and equipment. The goal is simple: to build an operation that is ready not only for more production, but for better production.

Growth that Stays Close to Home

We may be growing into new markets, but our roots are still firmly in Bitola. The project is expected to create new training and employment opportunities in food production, with particular significance for the Pelagonia region as it navigates a broader economic transition.

That matters to us. A new facility is made up of buildings and machinery, but a growing company ultimately depends on people. Investing in skills and employment means creating opportunities for people to learn, develop and build their careers here. It also means that the growth we are pursuing internationally can continue to have a very local impact.

Looking Ahead

There is something satisfying about building the next chapter on the foundations of the last one. We are taking the experience we have gained over decades of food production and pairing it with new technology, greater capacity and new ways of working. The result will be a Cermat that is better equipped for the markets we already serve and the ones still ahead. From Bitola to customers across Europe and beyond, we are making room for what comes next.