The Pivka Perutninarstvo poultry company became the owner of Delamaris in December 2009, when it bought a full 100 percent share of the Izola-based company. After the purchase Pivka decided to move the production away from Izola, due to its ageing and worn out facilities. In September 2013 they laid the foundation stone for the construction of a new production facility in Kal pri Pivki. Last week they officially opened the new plant for the processing of fish and production of fish products.

The total investment is estimated at around 6,4 million euros. From that around 5,8 million euros went for construction work on the new premises, while all the equipment for production cost around 585.000 euros. The Delamaris Kal company secured 60 percent of the financing from EU grant funds, which was around 3,5 million euros. The rest of the financing was covered by the company itself - from its own funds or by taking out loans.

The winning combination of mackerel with vegetables
All 92 employees from the coast will be commuting to Kal pri Pivki every day. The company has arranged bus transportation for its employees. The Pivka poultry company currently has 487 employees.

At the official opening of the new production plant, Janez Rebec, the CEO of Pivka Perutninarstvo, said that Delamaris products are well appreciated across central Europe. Apart from Slovenia, its biggest markets are Austria, Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. "We are the only company which primarily focuses on the combination of mackerel and vegetables. They copy us in our close surroundings as well as farther away. However we still have a lot of room for growth at home, as well as in foreign markets, both near and far," added Mr. Rebec.

A history of reorganizing and restructuring
The beginning of the Delamaris company goes back to 1879, when a Frenchman named Emile Louis Roullet bought a piece of land next to the cliffs of St. Peter's Church, where there was also a chapel called by the same name. He also bought a part of the coast with a bay, and then built the first factory for the processing and canning of fish near the Vascotto thermal spas. The plant started operating at the beginning of 1881.

The import-export Delamaris company, dealing with fresh and canned fish, was established in 1952. In the following years it experienced many highs and lows, as well as various attempts to reorganize and restructure the company and its production plant.

In 1962, after a lack of domestic fish, the company shifted its production to processing fruit and vegetables, producing soup concentrates, and especially towards mixed fish cans. In 1978 the fish processing plants merged with the Droga Portorož company and operated in such a way until the year 1989.

The missing Yugoslav market
Delamaris's natural market shrank substantially after Slovenia's independence from Yugoslavia. It forced the company to refocus its strategy in its Eastern and Western foreign markets and face mighty competition. As a consequence the company had to rationalize costs and increase its productivity, mostly with the introduction of automated production.

Under the new circumstances in January 1992 a new business plan for fishery and canned food was set up. The Delsar company (canning industry), the Riba company (fishery), the Delmar company (fish trading), the Lera company (fish breeding) and the Frigomar company (packing of frozen fish) were all set up in the framework of this new business plan. However, in 2008 the production division separated from the Delamaris canning industry PLC. It began operating independently within the Delamaris canning industry LLC. Five years later its new owner became Pivka Perutninarstvo.

What will happen to the facilities in Izola?
Workers at the production plant in Izola filled the last can of mackerel and vegetables at the end of June. Then the production line was shut down for good. The famous mackerel with vegetables, sardines and pâté spreads will now come from Pivka. The future of the location in Izola is still unknown. The new owners of Delamaris's property in Izola are still in search of appropriate content for the location.

The current owner of the property is HETA Asset Resolution, the legal successor of the Hypo Leasing company. The Municipality of Izola isn't sure of what is to become of the old plant's facilities. The municipality is hoping that the land won't become a residential neighbourhood. Instead, it wishes to see a development-oriented content for the area.