ACDI/VOCA Builds International Trade with Bulgaria

Since 1991 ACDI/VOCA has been working to strengthen Bulgaria’s agribusiness sector by improving food industry conditions, encouraging association development and training industry employees. As part of the Firm Level Assistance Group (FLAG) Consortium, ACDI/VOCA has aided in the development of new laws, policies, regulations and institutions that enabled economic growth, strengthened numerous business support institutions, and improved business performance in association members.

The Trade Development Center, another aspect of FLAG’s work in Bulgaria, was established to encourage trade with Bulgarian enterprises by providing access to trade promotion and facilitation, trade and investment financing, and improved marketing, quality standards and production efficiency. In its first year of operation, the Trade Development Center has numerous significant successes, including $1,290,000 in food export deals for Bulgarian companies.

To help Bulgarian companies find a niche in the American market Tanya Koicheva, manager of the Trade Development Center, visited the U.S. in June 2001 to promote Bulgarian enterprises with food distributors and brokers. With the help of the Bulgarian Trade Counselor and ACDI/VOCA volunteers John-Paul Gauthier and Douglas Manly, Ms. Koicheva was able to meet with more than 15 potential buyers. In fact, an importing company in Chicago has agreed to import vegetables from the Bulgarian Metalinvest Company, also an ACDI/VOCA client. Valentin Videv, the owner of Metalinvest, participated in an ACDI/VOCA U.S.-based study tour, and two ACDI/VOCA volunteers visited the company to improve business operations and quality control.

The Trade Development Center (TDC) assisted the Bulgarian bread company, Pain D’Or, to expand their business and become the primary supplier of fresh bread for a large chain of supermarkets. ACDI/VOCA volunteer Ken Huffman visited Pain D’Or three times to help the company improve business operations management, distribution channels, retail merchandising and strategic plan development. The TDC has also facilitated involvement in trade shows, such as the Foodapest Trade Show in Hungary. Consequently, Pain D’Or began exporting their products to Estonia and Hungary. The TDC has also helped companies develop marketing materials and has arranged and sponsored a Bulgarian booth at the Foodapest Trade Show.

The Trade Development Center has established regional partnerships with numerous nongovernmental organizations. As a result, the Bulgarian company Tehra was able to begin supplying the Macedonian Association of Swine Producers, another ACDI/VOCA beneficiary, with animal feed for their members. The contract amounted to $4,000, and later Tehra contracted to supply bread additives to Macedonian millers for $6,000.