Sarajevo Tobacco Factory

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Sarajevo Tobacco Factory - Fabrika Duhana Sarajevo

Sarajevo Tobacco Factory (Bosnian: Fabrika duhana Sarajevo) is a cigarette-producing factory in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It's headquarters is in Sarajevo. There are branches in Bihać, Tuzla, Čitluk and Banja Luka. Firms outside Bosnia and Herzegovina are in Skopje in Republic of Macedonia and Belgrade in Serbia. The factory produces the AurA Extra, AurA lights, AurA super lights, Drina denifine, Drina jedina bijela, Drina jedina zlatna, Drina lights, Drina super lights, Tigra medium, 8 (Eight) brands.

[edit] History

The Sarajevo Tobacco Factory was founded in 1880, only two years after occupation of Bosnia and Herzegovina by the Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1878. FDS was one of the first four industries in Bosnia and Herzegovina. For eighty years FDS was located in Marijin Dvor, nowadays a center of the city. At the very beginning, FDS consisted of only two buildings – production and administration. As the production grew, the FDS complex became larger. It was finally formed in 1891, when the last of ten buildings was constructed. This situation remained until the middle of the last century.

As the complex of FDS became larger, the number of employees also increased. In that early stage, it was mostly unskilled female labor. The first products of FDS were the cut tobacco packets produced manually in the device called “avan”. Tobacco used for these packets were of different grade and the packets were also different. During the Austro-Hungarian period, this product of FDS was exported.

The production of cigarettes started in 1882. The cigarettes had been produced manually until 1905 when the first automatic cigarette maker was provided. By the beginning of the World War I, FDS marketed 23 brands. They were packed in boxes made of wood, tin and cardboard. The smallest package contained five and the biggest one hundred cigarettes.

FDS considerably stagnated between the two world wars, especially in respect to its equipment. Still, during that period 55 different machines were provided, some of them intended for fabrication of the cut tobacco packets and cigarettes and the rest were machine tools for the workshop. The production and packing of the cut tobacco and several brands of oval and round cigarettes continued also in this period. Cigarettes were packed in packets of 100 and even 500 pieces.

At the very beginning of the World War II the cut tobacco production decreased due to less market demand. In this period, the cigarette production also varied from year to year. During the Second World War, FDS did not stop its production, but it was dictated by the occupier. Ever since its foundation, for more than one century now, FDS has experienced a lot of turbulent periods caused by the change of government and different social and political systems, but it has never stopped operating and producing.

With the persistent and well planned creation of its reputation towards the consumers and business partners, FDS achieved success, not only in the market of Bosnia and Herzegovina, but also abroad including Egypt, Russia, Turkey, Japan...

The need to extend and modernize the existing facilities resulted in a decision on the construction of the new factory complex in 1960. The new factory was built in the Pofalići area, occupying approximately 40.000 m². The complex consisted of several buildings. The complex in Pofalići got its final appearance in 1971, when the construction was completed. The construction of this new complex was completely financed by the employees of FDS and it was a kind of precedent at that time and in such an environment.

The policy of FDS was to rely on its own labor, and example proving that was the strong encouragement of the innovative work among the employees. The most fruitful period regarding innovations was between 1946, when the first machine (automatic carton cutting machine) was constructed and the mid sixties.

Those machines, invented and constructed by the employees of FDS, were used in FDS and also sold to other companies in ex-Yugoslavia. The machines designed in FDS, among other, are Glibo I, Glibo II, Glibo III, Glibo IV and Glibo V. Today, the machines are primarily important as the museum pieces, as they indicate the technological process that used to run in the factory.

The period from 1971 on, is characterized by the modernization activities. New, modern equipment was provided intended to meet new technologies in the production of cigarettes. In that way the Factory became one of the most modern tobacco plants in Europe and a leading one in the South-Slavic area. All the activities intended for the upgrade of the production process and education of the employees resulted in signing the contract with the world known company Philip Morris on making the Marlboro cigarettes in 1970. Implementation of this contract started in 1971.

The successful cooperation with Philip Morris lasted until 1992 when it was broken up due to the war circumstances.

In the history of FDS, several periods could be pointed out. The first was the Austro-Hungarian period, when the Factory operated to meet the requirements of the ruling Austro-Hungarian authorities. The second is the period of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia when the Factory considerably stagnated due to the monopolistic treatment by authorities from Belgrade. The third important period is after the Second World War, when FDS recorded very good business results regardless of frequent unfavorable work conditions. During this period which lasted for almost fifty years, FDS became materially very strong factory and employed very skillful workers who managed to keep up with the European and world trends in the tobacco industry.

During the period of more than 125 years of its existence, Fabrika duhana Sarajevo has been experiencing its ups, but also its downs which were regularly the result of outside effects. The most difficult period for Fabrika duhana Sarajevo was the war time, from 1992 to 1995. Although severely damaged due to the war destructions, Fabrika duhana Sarajevo did not stop its production.

During four years of the siege, the cigarette produced by FDS was everything – basic need, relief and means of payment. The brands produced during the war, packed in the packages never used before, packs of cut tobacco and pipe tobacco testify for the way of living of both, the Factory and the whole city.

The brands produced by FDS until now are: Damen, Hercegovina, Bosna, Guslar, Drina, Sarajevo, Mostar, Neretva, Štefanija, Foča, Flor, Vrbas, Morava, Sarajka, Start, Sutjestka, Zeta, Internacional, Ibar, Drava, Morava-crvena, Drina-denifine, Lara, Skend, Marlboro, Bond, Alfa, Sedef, Specijal, Wind, Bosnae, Drina jedina bijela, Drina jedina, Drina lights, Drina super lights, AurA extra, AurA lights, AurA super lights, Tigra medium, Multi Nova, Osmica.

Cigarettes, like everything else, change with the times. Some of the brands survive in the market for a short time, some, due to their good quality, last for decades, as the famous Sarajevo’s Drina which used to be produced even before the Second World War and is a trademark of Fabrika duhana Sarajevo.

Nowadays, FDS has very skillful personnel and the most contemporary technology for the cigarette production. For that reason it is possible to offer to the market the products that, by their design and smoking performances, satisfy the world’s highest standards. Therefore, our products are acceptable to different types of consumers, the result of which is permanent increase in the sales of our products.

The taste of our consumers is the guiding principle in our development and we follow it while creating a new product. Experts employed with FDS have possibility to follow the world’s developing trends, to use the tobaccos and raw materials of the best grade for making our products. We are well aware that the quality of our products and market activirties are the only means with which we could win in the highly competitive markets. Our products are the results of hard work of all the sectors and services within FDS, of our consumers and our suppliers.