Our 20 Years in Bosnia and Herzegovina Is a Story of People, Trust and Shared Growth

On the occasion of Nelt’s 20th anniversary in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Suzana Sikimić, Executive Director of Nelt BiH, spoke to Klix.ba about how the way success is measured has evolved over two decades – from growth, business results and infrastructure to the value the company creates for its employees, partners and the market.

We are publishing the Klix.ba interview in full.

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“Over the past two decades, Nelt in Bosnia and Herzegovina has been building connections between brands and consumers, principals and customers, the market and the community. The reputation we have today is the result of a network of relationships that we have built over the years with our business partners and the people within our company,” says Sikimić.

Among the companies with which Nelt BiH has developed long-standing partnerships are JTI, Bambi, Mondelēz International, Kraš, Bingo, Tropik and Konzum. Some of these partnerships have become milestones in their own right. Nelt’s cooperation with Japan Tobacco International dates back to 2012, while its partnerships with Mondelēz International and Bambi have now reached the ten-year mark.

“When, after ten years or more, you are still working with the same principals and partners, when you can speak openly, negotiate, solve problems together and plan new projects, you know you have built a genuine relationship. Behind all of this are people who communicate every day, make plans, overcome challenges and work together to deliver results,” she points out.

From cooperation to long-term partnership

Suzana Sikimić emphasises that Nelt does not want to be seen simply as a distributor or logistics service provider. The goal is for partners to see the company as someone who understands their business and can offer solutions tailored to their specific needs.

“Trust, consistency, transparency, open communication and mutual respect are essential. A true partnership begins when problems are no longer ‘ours’ or ‘theirs’, but shared challenges for which we seek the best solutions together,” she says.

This approach has also shaped the way Nelt has grown in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The company has brought knowledge and international experience to the market, while at the same time learning from its partners, customers and employees.

“Growth has never been a one-way process. This exchange is precisely one of the greatest values of our first 20 years. In the long term, one partner cannot succeed without the success of the other,” Sikimić stresses.

A company built by generations of people

When speaking about Nelt’s development, Sikimić places particular emphasis on the people who have led and developed the company through different stages of its journey. Around 25 percent of today’s organisation consists of employees who have been with the company for more than ten years.

“I cannot look at the Nelt of today separately from the people who have built it from the very beginning. Those 20 years encompass the entrepreneurial spirit of our owners and founders, the courage to make important decisions, difficult conversations, adapting to the market, perseverance through challenging times and relationships built over many years,” she says.

“More experienced generations pass on their understanding of the business, the market and relationships with partners, while new colleagues bring different perspectives, energy and new knowledge. It is where experience and new ideas meet that our culture remains alive: we preserve what has brought us this far, while creating space for the company to continue evolving,” she adds.

“Nelt BiH truly is Bosnia and Herzegovina in miniature”

The diversity of the people who work at the company is another subject to which Sikimić attaches particular importance. Nelt’s team brings together employees of different nationalities and faiths, with different life experiences and from different parts of the country.

“In Bosnia and Herzegovina, people from different backgrounds live and work together. The same is true at Nelt. What has always mattered is not someone’s nationality, religion or skin colour, but who they are as a person – whether they have vision, courage, perseverance and the desire to be part of a team,” she says.

Such diversity, she believes, brings different perspectives, more ideas, greater creativity and better decision-making, while also fostering a culture of respect, dialogue and openness. Nelt BiH operates through its headquarters in East Sarajevo, regional distribution centres in Banja Luka and Bijeljina, as well as cross-dock locations in Mostar and Bihać.

“The products we distribute ultimately find their way into the homes of real people, and consumers often have a strong emotional connection with the brands they choose. You need to understand the local context well, while at the same time finding the right balance between global standards and the specific characteristics of the market,” Sikimić explains.

In this, she says, an important role is played by people who live locally, understand the environment and build relationships with customers and partners that extend far beyond the business meeting.

From BiH to 12 markets across Europe and Africa – and back again

At the same time, Nelt BiH is part of a much broader system. Today, Nelt Group operates across 12 markets in Europe and Africa, spanning distribution, logistics and the production of its own brands.

This international presence gives the company in Bosnia and Herzegovina access to technologies, knowledge and experience from a variety of markets.

“Every market has its own regulatory framework, economic conditions, socio-political context and consumer habits. The advantage of being part of the Group is that we can exchange experiences very quickly and draw on best practices, while always adapting them to the local market,” Sikimić says.

The fact that Nelt works with renowned international companies across different markets, often with the same principals, enables the development of regional solutions, continuity in cooperation and long-term growth. And the exchange of knowledge works both ways.

“The experience we have gained in BiH is particularly valuable to the Group. Operating in such a complex and competitive market has strengthened our ability to adapt quickly, achieve operational precision and develop a deep understanding of the local context. We can share with other markets our experience of connecting manufacturers, retailers and consumers through a flexible, technology-enabled system, supported by partnerships that go beyond distribution and logistics alone,” Sikimić says.

Success today means more than growth

As the company has evolved, so too has its understanding of business success.

“In the early stages of a business, you naturally tend to measure success more in terms of growth, results and infrastructure. After 20 years, you look at it much more broadly. What matters is the value you create for the people around you, whether you are a company where people want to work and grow, whether your partners trust you, and whether you are ready to evolve alongside the market,” Sikimić says.

This approach has also been recognised outside the company. This year, Nelt BiH received three awards – Most Desirable Employer 2025 in the distribution sector, Most Inclusive Company 2025 and Family Friendly Company 2025 in Bosnia and Herzegovina. This broader understanding of success also includes responsibility towards the community.

Investing in young people’s knowledge means investing in the future

Through the three-year strategic partnership between Nelt Group and UNICEF, more than USD 300,000 has been invested in Bosnia and Herzegovina to support digital education and the development of skills among children and young people.

“If you want to create lasting change, you need to invest in young people strategically, thoughtfully and with a clear sense of purpose. Together with UNICEF and educational institutions, we want to contribute to young people’s digital literacy and help them develop the skills they need to be better prepared for future professional challenges and the labour market,” Sikimić says.

For her, investing in young people’s knowledge is part of the same philosophy – one in which business results cannot be separated from the development of the community in which the company operates.

“We hope these skills will help young people become more competitive and enter the labour market as successfully as possible. For us, business success reaches its full value only when it contributes to the long-term development of the community in which we operate,” she says.

Looking back on the first two decades, Sikimić says she would like partners, employees and everyone who has worked with Nelt over the years to remember the company above all for the trust it has earned.

“That we have been, and continue to be, a reliable partner. A responsible employer. Someone people can trust. And that they have grown together with us,” she says.

Because Nelt, she explains, is not simply about distribution centres, warehouse shelves, pallets, trucks, products or business results.

“Nelt is made up of the people who have spent years here, those who have only recently joined us and those who are yet to come. It is made up of our partners, principals, clients and customers – everyone with whom we have shared successes and challenges. Whatever we have built, we have built together,” Sikimić says, before concluding:

“This is not the end of a story. The next 20 years are ahead of us. I want us to continue to be guided by the same entrepreneurial spirit, mutual trust, responsibility and the ambition to build an even stronger organisation – something greater than any one of us individually.”