On a recent trip back home to Switzerland from Kosovo, Nehat Shalaku browsed the stores at Pristina International Airport. Among piles of various foreign-made items, he found apparel made in Kosovo from a local company that had expanded with USAID support. “I was immediately impressed with the packaging, quality, and price of the products, and purchased samples to show my boss,” he said. This purchase sparked a significant export collaboration between Shalaku’s employer in Switzerland and the Kosovo apparel producer S//Sprint.
Born and bred in Kosovo, Shalaku moved to Switzerland eight years ago. He is a sales manager and shareholder of Victoria Switzerland company, which works directly with producers to supply various products to more than 400 supermarkets, pharmacies, gas stations, and kiosks around Switzerland, in addition to selling wholesale products online. Shalaku presented the made-in-Kosovo items to the owner of the company. “We found S//Sprint products to be of higher quality and lower price than those produced in China, and it’s a bonus that they are being made just a two-hour flight away in Europe,” said Shalaku. Impressed by the products, Shalaku and his boss contacted the owner of S//Sprint, Sami Sopa, and flew to Kosovo to evaluate opportunities for collaboration.
Upon visiting the company’s production facility, the Swiss company purchased a test order for 7,000 men’s and women’s undershirts. Established as a family business in 2007, S//Sprint gradually expanded with USAID’s support to develop new business opportunities through market linkages, improve productivity, and expand production. It now has more than 120 employees, over 125 retail clients in Kosovo, and three stand-alone stores. In addition to the test order, the Swiss company worked out a deal with S//Sprint to link their online stores so their customers can browse the products S//Sprint offers and order them directly. S//Sprint is producing various men’s, women’s, and children’s underwear, casual clothing, sportswear, and socks.
“I am thankful to Mr. Shalaku for linking us to the Swiss market,” said Sopa. To meet the growing demand, S//Sprint is planning to expand and build a new and larger production facility. Shalaku and Sopa are hopeful that this is just the start of a fruitful collaboration between the two companies. “It’s a great feeling to make this market linkage happen and bring these Made in Kosovo products into the Swiss market,” said Shalaku. “This is my contribution, as a diaspora, to my homeland.”
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