The five Croatian companies identified in the report, namely Invest Sedlic, Solvis, Mlinar, Valipile and Comping, have total annual revenues of EUR 186 million with over 2,100 employees and a 37% three-year compound annual growth rate.
Mlinar is Croatia's largest bakery chain, managing over 230 bakeries all over the world from their Zagreb base. Mlinar has rapidly expanded franchises internationally over the last two years, with bakeries opening in Switzerland, Australia, Germany, Slovenia, Dubai, Ireland, Slovakia, Sweden, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia.
Invest Sedlic was founded in 2008 and today is a leader in the grain and oil products industry, exporting all over the world. Their product is mostly sourced from farms in Slatina and around the Vukovar area.
Manufacturing and engineering company Solvis has been in business for over 10 years, specialising in a number of energy-saving products like solar bus stops and other photovoltaic systems.
The other two companies from Croatia to make the list were poultry firm Valipile and Zagreb-based IT solutions company Comping.
Company CEOs featured in the report were welcomed at the European Parliament in Brussels earlier this week by European Commission Vice-President Jyrki Katainen and Nikhil Rathi, CEO, London Stock Exchange Plc, for the launch of the 2018 report.
"SMEs are the backbone of the European economy, which is solid and growing. Thanks to structural reforms in the member states, but also to dynamic and innovative, high-growth SMEs, employment has reached new record levels with almost 240 million people in jobs. We need to continue on that path and create a favourable business environment enabling cutting-edge innovators and solid manufacturing SMEs to grow and reach their full potential. Stock exchanges, such as the London Stock Exchange Group, are an essential part of our Capital Markets Union, helping those with ideas to meet their financers,” said Katainen.
The report is produced with the support and contributions from AFME and Bureau van Dijk, as well as leading business bodies in the EU include European Banking Federation, Invest Europe and Centre for European Policy Studies and European Issuers.
‘1000 Companies to Inspire Europe’ is part of LSEG's broader support campaign for fast-growing SMEs which includes its international growth market, AIM, and innovative business support and capital raising programme, ELITE. Now counting over 900 international businesses, ELITE companies represent 32 countries across 34 sectors, generating almost €62 billion in combined revenues and account for over 300,000 jobs across Europe and beyond.