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Agrokor

Agrokor d.d. was a Croatian multinational conglomerate engaged in food retail, production, and wholesale distribution, founded in 1976 by Ivica Todorić as a family-owned floriculture business that expanded into the Balkans' largest private company by revenue and employment.^[1]^[2] By 2014, it controlled approximately 2,000 stores across five countries following acquisitions like Slovenia's Mercator, generating €6 billion in retail operations amid aggressive growth in the post-Yugoslav region.^[3] However, the group's rapid expansion via high-cost debt and overinvestment culminated in a 2017 liquidity crisis, triggered by creditor concerns over falsified financial statements and supplier payment delays, resulting in debts surpassing €5 billion and the largest insolvency in Croatian history.^[4]^[5] This collapse threatened systemic economic risks, prompting Croatia's enactment of a special "lex Agrokor" law for extraordinary administration to restructure assets and avert broader fallout, including potential recession and impacts on regional banks and suppliers.^[6]^[7]

History

Founding and Early Development (1976–1989)

Agrokor was founded in 1976 by Ivica Todorić as a small, family-owned private company in Zagreb, Croatia (then part of Yugoslavia), initially specializing in the production of flowers and flower seedlings.^[8]^[9]^[2] The enterprise began modestly, operating from a greenhouse and focusing on floriculture within the constrained socialist economy of Yugoslavia, where private initiatives were limited but permitted in agriculture.^[10] During the early 1980s, the company experienced initial growth by expanding its agricultural operations, leveraging Todorić's entrepreneurial efforts amid Yugoslavia's economic liberalization attempts under market-oriented reforms.^[8] This period marked a shift from pure floristry toward broader agribusiness activities, though the firm remained small-scale compared to later expansions, with no major acquisitions or diversification into food processing or retail documented until the 1990s.^[11] By the mid-1980s, as political tensions rose leading to Yugoslavia's dissolution, Agrokor began laying groundwork for formalization.^[10] In 1989, amid the accelerating breakup of Yugoslavia, Todorić restructured the business into a joint stock company, officially registering it as Agrokor d.d., which enabled access to capital and positioned it for post-socialist market opportunities in the emerging Croatian economy.^[8]^[10] This transition from a private venture to a corporate entity reflected adaptive strategies to the shifting regulatory environment, though the core operations stayed rooted in agriculture without significant debt or external financing at this stage.^[12]

Domestic Consolidation (1989–2003)

In 1989, following liberalization of business laws in Yugoslavia, Ivica Todorić restructured Agrokor into a joint-stock company, shifting focus from floriculture toward broader agribusiness and trade in fruits, vegetables, oil crops, and cereals.^[8] This marked the beginning of Agrokor's transformation into a diversified conglomerate amid Croatia's push for independence and subsequent privatization efforts.^[13] The 1990s saw Agrokor capitalize on post-independence privatization to acquire dominant domestic players, establishing vertical integration across food production and retail. In 1993, it obtained Zvijezda, Croatia's leading producer of edible oils and margarine.^[14] The following year, Agrokor purchased Jamnica, the country's largest bottled water company, and consolidated control over Konzum—a grocery retailer with approximately 200 stores and annual revenue of €300 million—by acquiring worker-held shares and renaming it from Unikonzum, solidifying its position as Zagreb's primary retail operator.^[14]^[13]^[8] By the late 1990s, further acquisitions of market leaders like Ledo (ice cream and frozen products) and PIK Vrbovec (meat processing) enhanced Agrokor's supply chain control, from raw agriculture to consumer sales.^[8]^[13] In 1995, Konzum opened its first large-format store in Zagreb, expanding retail footprint despite the Croatian War of Independence (1991–1995).^[8] This era of targeted domestic buys, leveraging privatization amid economic isolation, positioned Agrokor as Croatia's preeminent private enterprise by 2003, with integrated operations spanning production, distribution, and sales.^[13]

Aggressive Regional Expansion (2003–2017)

During the early 2000s, Agrokor initiated its push beyond Croatia's borders, targeting neighboring Balkan markets to capitalize on post-war economic opportunities and lower competition in retail and food processing. In December 2003, the company acquired a 51% stake in TPDC Sarajevo, a key trading and distribution firm in Bosnia and Herzegovina, facilitating entry into wholesale and logistics operations there.^[15] This move was followed by the purchase of Frikom, Serbia's leading ice cream manufacturer, also in 2003, which strengthened Agrokor's foothold in dairy and frozen products amid Serbia's nascent privatization wave. These initial forays laid the groundwork for vertical integration, combining production with distribution in fragmented regional markets. Throughout the mid-2000s and into the 2010s, Agrokor accelerated its acquisition pace in two primary waves, focusing on retail chains, food producers, and agribusiness assets across Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Serbia to achieve scale and market dominance. Notable expansions included stakes in Bosnian entities like Ledo Čitluk for frozen foods and further consolidation in Sarajevo's retail via Konzum outlets, alongside Serbian investments in processing facilities.^[16] By leveraging debt financing, Agrokor absorbed underperforming assets from state privatizations, often at discounted valuations, enabling rapid portfolio growth but increasing leverage exposure. This strategy transformed the group from a domestic player into a regional powerhouse, with revenues increasingly derived from cross-border operations. The expansion culminated in 2013–2014 with the high-profile takeover of Poslovni sistem Mercator, Slovenia's largest supermarket chain and a major Balkan retailer operating in multiple countries. Agrokor signed an initial agreement in June 2013 to buy a 53% stake for 240 million euros, securing regulatory approvals from Slovenian authorities by November 2013 despite antitrust scrutiny over market concentration.^[17] The deal closed in June 2014 at a reduced price of about 86 euros per share for the controlling interest, integrating over 1,000 stores and adding significant production capacity.^[18] By 2017, these efforts had positioned Agrokor as the dominant force in Southeast European agribusiness and retail, employing over 20,000 in non-Croatian operations across the targeted markets, though sustained by aggressive borrowing that amplified systemic risks.^[16]

Business Operations

Core Sectors and Structure

Agrokor d.d. functioned as the parent holding company of the Agrokor Group, overseeing more than 155 direct and indirect subsidiaries organized into three primary business segments: retail and wholesale, food production and processing, and agriculture.^[7]^[12] This divisional structure allowed centralized strategic control from Zagreb while enabling operational autonomy for subsidiaries in each sector, with joint-stock companies typically featuring two-tier governance comprising management and supervisory boards.^[19] The retail and wholesale segment constituted the largest portion of Agrokor's operations, encompassing supermarket chains, hypermarkets, and distribution networks across Croatia and neighboring countries, generating significant revenue through consumer sales of groceries, household goods, and non-food items. Key activities included supply chain management and wholesale distribution to independent retailers, with this segment accounting for the majority of the group's pre-crisis turnover due to its market dominance in the region.^[20] In the food production and processing segment, Agrokor focused on manufacturing packaged foods, beverages, dairy products, and meat items, leveraging integrated supply chains to produce private-label and branded goods for domestic and export markets.^[21] This sector emphasized value-added processing, including operations in flour milling, cheese production, and beverage bottling, which supported vertical integration with upstream agricultural activities. The agriculture segment involved crop cultivation, livestock farming, and primary food production, such as meat and dairy sourcing, primarily through large-scale operations in regions like Baranja and Vinkovci.^[21] This area provided raw materials for downstream processing and retail, with activities spanning arable farming, animal husbandry, and related agribusiness ventures that aimed to ensure supply security amid regional market volatility.^[12]

Key Subsidiaries and Brands

Agrokor's operations were structured around three primary groups: Retail, Food, and Agriculture/Business, with key subsidiaries spanning grocery retail, dairy and frozen products, beverages, edible oils, and meat processing. The Retail Group centered on Konzum d.d., Croatia's largest supermarket chain, which operated over 700 stores by 2016 and held a dominant market position in domestic grocery distribution.^[22] Konzum's brands included private-label products in fresh produce, household goods, and consumer staples, contributing significantly to Agrokor's revenue through high-volume, low-margin sales. In the Food Group, Ledo d.d. specialized in ice cream and frozen foods, commanding the leading share of Croatia's ice cream market with popular brands like Ledo ice cream varieties, which emphasized local flavors and distribution across the Balkans.^[23] Zvijezda d.d. focused on edible oils, margarines, and spreads, producing top-selling items such as Zvijezda sunflower oil, Zvijezda mayonnaise, and various margarine lines (including hard, soft, and spreads like Margo), which ranked among Croatia's leading food brands by consumer recognition and sales volume in 2016.^[24] Jamnica d.d., a major beverage producer, dominated the mineral water segment with the Jamnica brand, sourcing from natural springs and achieving widespread regional penetration.^[25] Additional key subsidiaries included Pik Vrbovec d.o.o. in meat processing, offering fresh and processed meats under the Pik Vrbovec brand, and Belje d.d. in agriculture, managing large-scale farming, wine production (e.g., Belje wines), and livestock operations in eastern Croatia. These entities integrated vertically, sourcing from Agrokor-controlled farms to supply retail and food processing arms, though their heavy reliance on group financing exposed them to the conglomerate's overarching debt issues by 2017.^[26] Post-insolvency restructuring under Fortenova Group from 2019 onward, many retained core brands but adopted "plus" suffixes temporarily before reverting.^[27]

Growth Strategy

Major Acquisitions

Agrokor's growth strategy emphasized acquisitions to consolidate domestic market share and expand regionally in food production, agriculture, and retail. Between 2003 and 2017, the company targeted established firms to build vertical integration across its supply chain, often financing deals through debt amid rising leverage. These moves transformed Agrokor from a primarily Croatian operation into a regional powerhouse, though they contributed to unsustainable debt accumulation exceeding €5 billion by 2017.^[14] A key domestic acquisition was Belje d.d., Croatia's largest agricultural enterprise, purchased in 2005 to secure raw material supplies for meat and dairy processing.^[2] That same year, Agrokor acquired PIK Vrbovec, the country's leading meat manufacturer, enhancing its protein production capacity and integrating upstream farming with downstream retail.^[2] These deals, part of a 2005–2007 wave, bolstered Agrokor's control over approximately 40% of Croatia's food retail market via synergies with existing subsidiaries like Konzum.^[28] The flagship regional acquisition occurred in 2014, when Agrokor sealed the takeover of Poslovni sistem Mercator, Slovenia's dominant food retailer with operations across the Western Balkans, for €323.8 million.^[18] This purchase added over 1,000 stores and €1.7 billion in annual revenue, extending Agrokor's reach into Slovenia, Serbia, and Bosnia-Herzegovina, but strained finances due to Mercator's pre-existing €1.1 billion debt restructuring needs.^[29] The deal faced regulatory scrutiny but was approved, marking Agrokor's boldest cross-border move and temporarily positioning it as the largest private employer in the region with around 50,000 staff.^[6]

Financing and Leverage Practices

Agrokor's financing strategy centered on a "buy and build" model, where aggressive mergers and acquisitions in retail and food processing were predominantly funded through high levels of external debt rather than equity issuance or internal cash flows. This approach facilitated rapid regional expansion, such as the 2014 acquisition of Slovenian retailer Mercator for €544 million, which included €324 million for the purchase price, €200 million for deleveraging the target, and €20 million for working capital, primarily financed via leveraged loans and bonds.^[2]^[29] The conglomerate raised funds through syndicated bank loans, including a €600 million facility from Sberbank, unsecured notes such as €325 million and $300 million issuances due in 2020, and intra-group lending supported by subsidiary guarantees.^[19] A hallmark of Agrokor's leverage practices was the extensive use of high-yield, high-risk instruments, including payment-in-kind (PIK) toggle notes, which permitted interest payments to be deferred and capitalized as additional principal, effectively expanding the debt burden during cash shortages. For instance, the Mercator deal incorporated a €485 million PIK loan, allowing Agrokor to conserve liquidity but accelerating debt accumulation as accrued interest compounded.^[30]^[29] This was supplemented by "archaic" short-term tools like HRK 7.4 billion in bills of exchange and trade loans, alongside stretched supplier payables averaging 150 days outstanding (HRK 16.2 billion as of September 2016), which served as de facto financing but strained trade creditors.^[19]^[2] Leverage metrics deteriorated sharply, reflecting over-reliance on debt amid declining profitability and operational inefficiencies. By 2016, total debt reached €5.3 billion, with non-current borrowings at €3.6 billion and current at €1.7 billion, yielding negative ratios such as total debt to adjusted EBITDA at -16.1x and net debt to adjusted EBITDA at -15.8x, driven by negative EBITDA.^[2] Restated 2015 figures showed more moderate but still elevated levels at 6.2x and 5.5x, respectively, with EBITDA to interest expense coverage falling to -0.7x in 2016 from 1.8x prior.^[2] Pre-petition liabilities ballooned to approximately €6.7 billion (HRK 50 billion), comprising HRK 31.5 billion in financial debt, HRK 7.3 billion in trade liabilities from around 6,000 creditors, and HRK 11.6 billion intra-group, compounded by undisclosed liabilities of HRK 3.9 billion revealed in audited statements.^[19]^[2] These practices prioritized short-term liquidity over sustainable capital structure, with negative equity (HRK -23.3 billion by 2017) and over-indebted subsidiaries where liabilities exceeded assets, exposing the group to refinancing risks and covenant breaches, such as springing maturities in loan agreements.^[19] While enabling market dominance—Agrokor represented up to 16% of Croatian GDP—the strategy's vulnerability was evident in failed bond syndications and rising borrowing costs amid bond yields exceeding 20% by early 2017.^[30]^[2]

Financial Crisis

Precursors and Debt Buildup

Agrokor's precursors to insolvency involved a pattern of aggressive acquisitions across the Balkans, financed predominantly through leveraged debt rather than organic growth or retained earnings. From the early 2000s onward, under CEO Ivica Todorić, the conglomerate expanded into retail chains and food production by purchasing assets such as the Slovenian retailer Mercator in 2014, which required restructuring approximately $1 billion in existing debt.^[31] This strategy prioritized market share over profitability, resulting in operational inefficiencies, including labor costs exceeding 12% of turnover—far above industry norms—and inadequate strategic oversight.^[14] Debt accumulation accelerated post-2008 global financial crisis, as domestic Croatian banks curtailed lending, prompting Agrokor to seek high-yield financing from foreign entities, notably Russian state-owned banks like Sberbank, which provided over a third of the group's borrowings by 2017 due to looser credit standards despite elevated risks.^[32] Management's reliance on "junk debt"—high-interest obligations with minimal covenants—fueled a leverage spiral, where new loans serviced prior ones amid stagnant cash flows from low-margin operations. By late 2016, suppliers faced delayed payments, signaling liquidity erosion, while external shocks like Russia's 2014 food import bans reduced Agrokor's export revenues from processed goods.^[14]^[33] A pivotal undisclosed factor emerged in audits revealing systemic underreporting of liabilities; as of December 31, 2015, Agrokor had omitted approximately 2.9 billion Croatian kuna (about €385 million or $616 million in supplier and intercompany debts alone), masking the true extent of obligations through irregular financial statements approved by Todorić's team.^[32]^[34] Total indebtedness ballooned to €5.7 billion ($6-7 billion equivalent) by early 2017, exceeding the company's asset value and rendering it vulnerable to bond covenant breaches and creditor demands.^[29]^[5] This buildup reflected not merely external market pressures but core governance failures, including over-dependence on opaque related-party financing and failure to deleverage during periods of regional economic recovery.^[11]

Onset of Insolvency (2017)

In early 2017, Agrokor faced acute liquidity constraints, with payment delays to suppliers commencing in January amid mounting operational pressures from prior aggressive expansion and refinancing shortfalls.^[6] These delays escalated, leaving domestic suppliers with outstanding claims totaling approximately 16 billion Croatian kuna (equivalent to about $2.29 billion at the time), prompting demands for account unfreezing and highlighting the company's inability to meet short-term obligations.^[35] By this period, Agrokor's overall liabilities stood at roughly €4.2 billion, exacerbating vulnerabilities as subsidiary accounts were blocked and suppliers initiated bankruptcy petitions against key units like Konzum.^[6]^[4] Credit markets reflected the deteriorating situation: in February, Moody's shifted Agrokor's outlook to negative citing profile uncertainties, with bonds trading at around 29% of face value; by March, further downgrades to Caa1 followed accusations from Russian lender VTB Bank of falsified financial statements, driving bond values down to 25% of face value.^[4] Management responded with a standstill agreement alongside six major creditors in March to stabilize cash flows, while the Croatian government drafted emergency legislation to avert systemic fallout from the group's €6 billion-plus debt burden, which threatened over 60,000 jobs across the Balkans.^[4]^[35] The crisis culminated in formal insolvency measures under the newly enacted Lex Agrokor. On April 6, 2017, the Croatian Parliament passed the Emergency Administration Act, enabling state-supervised restructuring for systemically important firms.^[6]^[4] The following day, April 7, Agrokor's management, led by owner Ivica Todorić, invoked the law by requesting extraordinary administration and ceding control to avert standard bankruptcy proceedings.^[4] On April 10, the Zagreb Commercial Court initiated the procedure, appointing Ante Ramljak as extraordinary commissioner and forming an interim creditors' council including entities like Sberbank and Knighthead Capital, marking the official onset of Agrokor's insolvency resolution.^[4]^[6]

Government Intervention

Enactment of Lex Agrokor

The Croatian Parliament passed the Act on Extraordinary Administration Proceedings in Companies of Systemic Importance for the Republic of Croatia, commonly known as Lex Agrokor, on April 6, 2017, in response to Agrokor's escalating insolvency crisis that threatened national economic stability.^[36]^[37] The legislation was enacted as an emergency measure to enable government intervention in systemically important firms facing liquidity shortfalls, allowing for the appointment of an extraordinary administrator to oversee operations, suspend certain creditor claims, and facilitate restructuring without immediate liquidation.^[36]^[38] Published in the Official Gazette on the same day, the law entered into force on April 7, 2017, prompting Agrokor to immediately file for proceedings under its provisions.^[36]^[7] The rapid enactment reflected the government's assessment of Agrokor's €6 billion debt burden and its role in employing over 50,000 people across the region, positioning the company as "too big to fail" for Croatia's economy, which contributed around 5-7% to GDP through its retail, food production, and agriculture sectors.^[38]^[29] Prime Minister Andrej Plenković's administration justified the law as a preventive tool against chain reactions in supply chains and banking, but critics, including legal experts and opposition figures, argued it violated constitutional principles by retroactively altering creditor rights and appearing tailored specifically to Agrokor despite its general framing.^[39]^[40] On April 10, 2017, a Zagreb court designated Agrokor and 50 affiliates as systemically important under the new law, appointing Ante Ramljak as commissioner to stabilize operations.^[41] Challenges to the law's constitutionality were filed shortly after passage, with 12 applicants contesting its provisions before the Constitutional Court, highlighting concerns over property rights and equal treatment of creditors.^[42] The government's urgency in bypassing standard legislative scrutiny—drafting and approving the bill within days—underscored the perceived immediacy of the threat, though it drew accusations of ad hoc policymaking favoring state intervention over market mechanisms.^[39]^[37] In May 2018, the Constitutional Court upheld the core framework, affirming its role in averting broader economic fallout, though it struck down select retroactive elements.^[43]

Extraordinary Administration and Stabilization

The Extraordinary Administration Procedure for Agrokor commenced on April 10, 2017, following the enactment of the Extraordinary Administration Act (commonly known as Lex Agrokor) on April 6, 2017, which enabled intervention for systemically important companies facing insolvency to preserve operational continuity without immediate bankruptcy.^[44] Ante Ramljak was appointed as Extraordinary Administrator by the Croatian government and approved by the Commercial Court, assuming control over Agrokor and its 77 subsidiaries, which employed approximately 50,000 people and carried debts estimated at €6.7 billion.^[44]^[45] This appointment immediately removed Agrokor's prior senior management from the holding company's board, as mandated by the Act, to facilitate independent oversight and restructuring.^[33] Stabilization efforts prioritized liquidity injection and creditor negotiations to avert operational collapse. Ramljak secured an initial €80 million emergency loan in 2017, followed by approval on June 8, 2017, for a €1.06 billion super-priority term loan facility (SPFA), of which €480 million was allocated specifically for working capital and supplier payments to sustain daily operations across retail, food production, and agriculture segments.^[44] The procedure imposed an automatic stay on bankruptcy and liquidation proceedings against group entities, shielding assets and enabling business continuity amid creditor pressures.^[44] These measures, combined with a pre-existing standstill agreement with six major creditors, prevented immediate supplier defaults and supply chain disruptions that could have amplified economic fallout in Croatia, where Agrokor's liabilities equated to roughly 15% of GDP.^[4] Ramljak's tenure, however, faced challenges, culminating in his irrevocable resignation on February 21, 2018, amid reported tensions with government officials over restructuring pace; he was succeeded on February 28, 2018, by Fabris Peruško as Extraordinary Commissioner, with Irena Weber as deputy.^[44]^[46] Under continued administration, focus shifted to auditing claims, divesting non-core assets, and drafting a settlement plan negotiated with a creditors' committee, which achieved key stabilization by maintaining revenue streams and avoiding mass layoffs.^[44] By April 2019, these efforts culminated in the settlement plan's implementation commencement date, transferring viable operations to a creditor-controlled entity while deleveraging the balance sheet through debt-for-equity swaps, as affirmed by Croatian Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic in declaring all administration objectives met.^[44]^[47] The procedure's success in preserving systemic stability was later recognized internationally, including a 2019 award for the restructuring's financial innovation.^[48]

Restructuring and Aftermath

Creditor Settlement (2018–2019)

The settlement process culminated in creditors approving Agrokor's restructuring plan on July 4, 2018, with holders of more than 80% of claims voting in favor following over a year of negotiations amid multiple litigations.^[49] The plan addressed approximately €7 billion in funded debt through mechanisms including debt forgiveness, asset reallocations to viable entities, and distributions of new financial instruments to impaired creditors.^[50] On July 6, 2018, the Commercial Court of Zagreb confirmed the plan, rendering it binding on all creditors, including dissenters, under the Lex Agrokor framework.^[51] Key terms categorized impaired claims by recovery thresholds: those valued up to HRK 40,000 (about €5,300) received cash settlements to streamline administration, while larger claims were satisfied via depository receipts and convertible bonds, positioning qualifying creditors as equity holders in the restructured operations.^[44] Projected recoveries varied by debt class, with English- and New York-law-governed instruments estimated at 50.8%, reflecting compromises on original maturities extended up to eight years post-grace periods.^[7] The plan's Creditors' Council, including representatives from Knighthead Capital Management, Sberbank, and others, unanimously endorsed core elements prior to the vote.^[52] Implementation commenced on April 1, 2019, marking the transfer of business assets and liabilities to new entities, with creditors required to complete know-your-customer procedures to claim instruments; non-compliance led to forfeiture of entitlements.^[51] International enforceability advanced with U.S. Bankruptcy Court recognition on October 24, 2018, enforcing compromises on cross-border debts despite challenges under English law's Gibbs rule.^[53] By mid-2019, the restructuring had stabilized core operations, averting broader liquidation while prioritizing operational continuity over full creditor repayment.^[54]

Formation of Fortenova Group

The Formation of Fortenova Group occurred as the culmination of Agrokor's creditor settlement under the Extraordinary Administration Procedure, with operations commencing on April 1, 2019. This followed the implementation of a negotiated settlement plan, approved by creditors on July 4, 2018, with 80.2% voting in favor and subsequently confirmed by the Commercial Court in Zagreb.^[55]^[6] The plan facilitated a substantial deleveraging of approximately €6 billion in debt through a debt-for-equity swap, transferring Agrokor's viable operational assets—primarily in retail, food production, and agriculture—into a newly structured holding company, thereby isolating them from the insolvent parent entity.^[54]^[56] Fortenova Group assumed control of Agrokor's core subsidiaries, including major retail chains like Mercator and Konzum, as well as agricultural and food processing operations, preserving approximately 40,000 jobs and maintaining supply chain continuity across the region.^[57]^[58] The restructuring process, which concluded without direct fiscal costs to Croatian taxpayers, marked the erasure of Agrokor d.d. from the court registry and the closure of the Extraordinary Administration, enabling Fortenova to operate as an independent entity focused on stabilization and future growth.^[59]^[60] Initial ownership of Fortenova was distributed among Agrokor's creditors, who converted debt holdings into equity stakes, with bondholders and banks receiving primary control to reflect the settlement's creditor-driven nature.^[44] This structure aimed to prevent recurrence of prior governance failures by emphasizing professional management under figures like CEO Fabris Peruško, who oversaw the transition.^[48] By April 2019, Fortenova reported revenue continuity from inherited segments, signaling operational viability post-restructuring.^[61]

Post-Restructuring Developments (2020–2025)

Following the completion of Agrokor's restructuring and the establishment of Fortenova Group on April 1, 2019, the entity navigated initial post-crisis operations amid the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020, Fortenova reported resilient performance, with consolidated revenues reaching approximately HRK 22.5 billion despite lockdowns impacting retail and supply chains from April onward; adjusted EBITDA stood at HRK 1.2 billion, reflecting effective cost controls and adaptation to reduced consumer mobility.^[62] The group pursued strategic expansions in dairy, acquiring Meggle Croatia's Osijek facility production line and associated real estate for an undisclosed sum in October 2020, aligning with its 2020-2025 agriculture strategy emphasizing milk processing and vertical integration.^[63] Financial recovery accelerated in subsequent years, with gross debt reduced by over one-third from post-restructuring levels by mid-2025, supported by operational efficiencies and selective divestitures. Revenues grew to €5.9 billion in 2023, accompanied by adjusted EBITDA of €251 million and net debt of €970 million (leverage ratio of 3.86x), driven by core segments in retail (e.g., Konzum chain) and food production including beverages, oils, and meats.^[64] ^[65] Ownership stabilized after Croatian businessman Pavao Vujnovac's consortium acquired stakes held by sanctioned Russian banks (Sberbank and VTB) in 2023, eliminating geopolitical risks tied to prior creditor claims.^[66] By 2025, Fortenova executed a €550 million refinancing agreement with UniCredit and Zagrebačka Banka, effective October 1, marking Croatia's largest private corporate financing and extending maturities to fund growth in high-margin areas.^[67] The group initiated divestment of non-core assets, including the agriculture division sold to Podravka in 2025, while investing in domestic production enhancements, such as a July 2025 initiative via subsidiary Moslavina Voće that boosted cucumber output by 50%.^[68] These moves underscored a shift toward streamlined operations, with annual sustainability reports from 2020-2024 highlighting progress in supply chain resilience and product innovation across over 4,000 SKUs.^[69]

Controversies and Criticisms

Management Failures and Governance Issues

Under the long-term leadership of founder Ivica Todorić, who controlled approximately 95% of the company through Adria Group Holding B.V., Agrokor operated with a highly centralized and autocratic management structure that bypassed standard corporate governance practices. Todorić personally dominated decision-making across the conglomerate's over 160 subsidiaries, resulting in the absence of formal Management Board sessions, minutes, or structured oversight, which fostered an environment of unchecked authority and contributed to systemic operational chaos.^[2]^[16] This autocratic approach manifested in aggressive, debt-fueled expansion without adequate risk assessment or profitability controls, exemplified by the 2014 acquisition of Slovenian retailer Mercator for €544 million, financed largely through a €485 million payment-in-kind (PIK) loan that allowed interest to accrue as additional debt rather than cash payments. Such high-risk financing, including reliance on junk bonds and credits from Russian banks like Sberbank, escalated Agrokor's net debt-to-EBITDA ratio to over 6.2 times by 2015—far exceeding the retail sector's typical threshold of 3 times—and led to payables ballooning to HRK 16.2 billion (€2.175 billion) by September 2016, with average payment terms stretching to 150 days.^[2]^[29]^[16] Governance lapses were compounded by weak internal controls and financial opacity, including the non-consolidation of key subsidiaries like AdriaticaNet, which masked true liabilities, and accounting irregularities such as undisclosed expenses totaling HRK 2.2 billion and liabilities of HRK 3.9 billion from 2010 to 2015. The absence of audited financial reports and diversification into non-core areas like leisure and printing further eroded profitability, with labor costs exceeding 12% of turnover amid margin pressures from competitors.^[2]^[16] Allegations of falsified financial statements, raised by VTB Bank in March 2017, underscored these deficiencies, prompting criminal charges against Todorić in October 2017 for irregularities in revised reporting.^[4] Todorić's removal in April 2017 under the Emergency Management Act highlighted the perils of such concentrated control in a family-dominated entity lacking independent board participation, where management weaknesses—scoring high on models like Argenti's for defects (14 points) and mistakes (15 points)—directly precipitated the conglomerate's insolvency.^[2]

Fraud Allegations and Legal Probes

In April 2017, following Agrokor's insolvency filing, the Extraordinary Commissioner initiated criminal charges against founder Ivica Todorić and former executives for alleged mismanagement and financial irregularities that contributed to the company's debt exceeding €1 billion.^[70] On October 16, 2017, Croatian police raided Todorić's residences and arrested several executives, including former finance director Ivan Prkac, as part of an investigation into 15 individuals suspected of economic crimes and fraud involving tens of millions of euros in unauthorized loans and transfers.^[71] ^[72] Todorić, who denied the allegations as unfounded, fled to London shortly after.^[73] Todorić's extradition from the UK was approved by a British court on April 23, 2018, on charges of fraud related to Agrokor's operations, including siphoning funds and falsifying financial statements; he was returned to Croatia in October 2018 and released on bail in November 2018 pending trial.^[74] ^[75] ^[76] Prosecutors alleged systematic fraud orchestrated by Todorić amounting to €2 billion, encompassing practices such as off-balance-sheet financing and fictitious transactions to mask insolvency.^[77] By August 2019, the State Attorney's Office (DORH) filed initial indictments against 29 individuals, including directors from 13 subsidiaries, for related offenses.^[78] Investigations expanded to probe potential privatization abuses and cronyism, with a parliamentary committee established in 2017 to examine irregularities in Agrokor's asset acquisitions and state ties.^[79] In 2022, DORH reported 14 indictments stemming from the probes, targeting offenses like breach of fiduciary duty.^[80] Proceedings faced delays; in January 2023, the High Commercial Court invalidated a key expert financial evaluation implicating Todorić, prompting parliamentary scrutiny.^[81] On July 25, 2025, DORH filed a new indictment against six defendants, including Todorić, a board member, and three directors, accusing them of causing €179 million in damages through crimes such as embezzlement and false accounting over a decade; the probe, initiated in 2017, was suspended for nine others due to insufficient evidence.^[82] ^[83] This followed a court-ordered extension in January 2025 for further evidence gathering, reflecting ongoing complexities in attributing liability amid Agrokor's opaque pre-insolvency practices.^[83]

Cronyism and Political Influence

Agrokor's rapid expansion in the 2000s and 2010s was facilitated by extensive informal ties to Croatian political elites, enabling access to favorable loans, state guarantees, and regulatory leniency that masked mounting debts exceeding €6 billion by 2017.^[84] Senior executives, including owner Ivica Todorić, cultivated relationships across major parties such as the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) and Social Democratic Party (SDP), allowing the conglomerate to dominate 15% of Croatia's economy while evading scrutiny over aggressive accounting practices.^[85] These connections exemplified crony capitalism, where business success depended less on market competition and more on political patronage, a pattern recurring in Croatia's agro sector since the 1970s Agrokombinat scandal.^[86] A prominent case involved Zdravko Marić, Agrokor's former chief financial officer, who became Croatia's Finance Minister in October 2016 amid the company's deteriorating finances; his appointment raised conflict-of-interest concerns, as Agrokor held €440 million in state-guaranteed bonds that risked taxpayer exposure upon collapse.^[87] Marić faced potential investigation by the Commission for Conflict of Interest Prevention for not fully disclosing prior Agrokor roles, though proceedings were later dropped; critics argued this highlighted systemic favoritism, with Agrokor's "too big to fail" status prompting swift government intervention over creditor rights.^[87] Todorić himself wielded influence through donations and lobbying, securing supplier contracts and expansions that prioritized political allies over sustainable practices.^[88] The enactment of Lex Agrokor in April 2017, a bespoke law rammed through parliament in days to impose extraordinary administration, was criticized as politically motivated favoritism, shielding Agrokor's management from immediate liability while prioritizing stabilization over transparency; opposition figures and analysts contended it entrenched crony networks by awarding emergency contracts to politically connected firms revealed in leaked emails. The law's architect, Economy Minister Martina Dalić, defended it as averting economic catastrophe affecting 60,000 jobs, denying any "conspiracy or corruption," yet subsequent probes uncovered undisclosed liabilities of HRK 3.9 billion, fueling claims of elite protectionism.^[89] Post-crisis, the restructuring process under Fortenova Group retained influence from former stakeholders, perpetuating perceptions of unresolved political entanglements in Croatia's business-political nexus.^[90]

Economic Impact

Macroeconomic Effects on Croatia

The Agrokor crisis, erupting in April 2017, posed significant risks to Croatia's macroeconomic stability due to the conglomerate's outsized role, with annual revenues equivalent to approximately 12% of GDP and direct employment of around 60,000 people across retail, food production, and agriculture sectors.^[33]^[9] The company's €7.6 billion in liabilities exceeded assets by €2 billion, threatening supplier chains, banking liquidity, and consumer spending in a economy still recovering from the 2009-2014 contraction that erased 12% of output.^[91]^[92] The Croatian National Bank (HNB) assessed the direct GDP impact at 0.3-0.4 percentage points of forgone growth in 2017, contingent on effective crisis management, as disruptions rippled through Agrokor-dependent industries contributing up to 15% of economic activity.^[93] Despite these headwinds, real GDP expanded by 2.7% in the first half of 2017 and approximately 3% for the full year, buoyed by tourism, private consumption, and pre-crisis momentum rather than a collapse.^[91] Unemployment, at 10.9% in August 2017, faced upward pressure from potential layoffs, but government intervention via the Lex Agrokor law—enabling extraordinary administration—mitigated mass job losses by prioritizing operational continuity.^[94] In the financial sector, banks provisioned for loan losses tied to Agrokor's €1.1 billion exposure to entities like Sberbank, contributing to temporarily elevated non-performing loans (NPLs) that nonetheless continued declining from prior highs.^[95]^[91] Fiscal strains emerged indirectly, with downside risks to budgetary targets from potential state support, including an initial €150-300 million liquidity injection, amid public debt servicing costs equivalent to 3.5% of GDP.^[96]^[92] The crisis underscored structural vulnerabilities, such as over-dependence on non-tradable conglomerates, but post-2018 restructuring—culminating in creditor settlements—bolstered external balances and supported credit rating upgrades by reducing contingent liabilities.^[97]^[98] Overall, while amplifying short-term uncertainties, the managed resolution averted a deeper recession, with GDP growth stabilizing at around 3% annually through 2019.^[91]

Sectoral and Employment Consequences

The Agrokor crisis, which escalated in early 2017, threatened widespread job losses in Croatia's retail and food production sectors, where the conglomerate operated over 1,000 supermarkets under brands like Konzum and employed directly around 60,000 workers across southeast Europe, including a significant share in Croatia. Indirect employment effects loomed larger, with approximately 150,000 supplier jobs in agriculture, logistics, and processing at risk due to payment delays and contract uncertainties.^[99]^[100] The extraordinary administration process, initiated in April 2017 under Lex Agrokor legislation, prioritized continuity to mitigate these risks, but initial workforce reductions occurred as non-essential operations were streamlined; by December 2017, 2,300 of 58,300 employees had departed through redundancies and attrition.^[101] In the retail sector, which accounted for a core of Agrokor's €7 billion annual revenue pre-crisis (roughly 15% of Croatia's GDP), the turmoil led to temporary store optimizations and localized impacts, such as the 2023 closure of select Konzum outlets affecting 870 positions, though over 80% of those workers were reassigned internally. Food processing and agricultural supply chains faced acute pressures, with smaller farms and producers reporting cash flow strains from withheld payments totaling hundreds of millions of euros, heightening bankruptcy risks for entities reliant on Agrokor's procurement networks.^[102]^[103] Despite these disruptions, the restructuring averted a full sectoral meltdown, preserving dominant market positions in retail (e.g., Konzum's 50%+ share) and agro-industry. Post-2019, under the Fortenova Group formed from Agrokor's assets, employment stabilized with ongoing operations supporting tens of thousands of jobs, though efficiency drives continued to trim redundancies amid debt reduction efforts that halved liabilities by 2025. The episode underscored vulnerabilities in Croatia's concentrated retail and food sectors, where a single entity's distress could cascade to suppliers, but state intervention via extraordinary administration limited net job losses to under 5% of direct payroll in the acute phase, contrasting with fears of economy-wide unemployment spikes given Croatia's 10.9% baseline rate in 2017.^[64]^[94]

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Scope upgrades Croatia's long-term credit rating to BB+ from BB ...
The concluded Agrokor debt settlement, Croatia's improved budgetary performance and strengthening external position drive the upgrade. High public debt and ...<|separator|>
[98]
[PDF] Croatia Economy briefing: Economic review of 2018 in Croatia
Events that affected Croatian economy in 2018 had dual effects. On the one hand, the major Agrokor crisis was solved, the huge restructuring was implemented ...
[99]
Croatia supermarket chain that threatens a crisis - BBC News
May 21, 2017 · "The collapse of Agrokor could cause a recession," says Croatia's Economy Minister Martina Dalic. "Its core company, Konzum, has 2,500 ...Missing: facts | Show results with:facts<|separator|>
[100]
Croatian company's crisis ripples across Balkans - Reuters
Jun 19, 2017 · In Croatia, some 150,000 people are believed to be employed by Agrokor's suppliers. Faced with such a seismic threat to the country's fragile ...
[101]
Croatia's Agrokor staff down by 2300 in Apr-Dec - report
Mar 2, 2018 · The financial troubles facing Croatian concern Agrokor prompted 2300 of its 58300 employees to leave from April, when an extraordinary ...
[102]
How Agrokor Crisis Caused Earthquake in Government and Entire ...
Apr 20, 2023 · The suspicions held by VTB regarding irregularities in Agrokor's financial statements caused a sharp drop in the prices of Agrokor's shares, the ...
[103]
Croatia's Agrokor crisis worsens as crisis manager quits - Euractiv
After years of expansion, the company almost collapsed under the weight of accumulated debt last year, prompting the government to pass a special law that ...Missing: causes | Show results with:causes