Croatian food maker Zvijezda marks 110 years with €150 million revenue in first year under Žito Group

Zvijezda, one of Croatia's oldest food manufacturers, marked 110 years in business on Wednesday with annual revenue of around €150 million, more than 400 employees and a presence in more than 15 markets, Jutarnji list reported. The anniversary falls in a year of major ownership change: from this year Zvijezda operates within Žito Group, described by the newspaper as one of the leading domestic food groups.

The company dates its founding to 16 September 1916, when Prva hrvatska tvornica ulja — the First Croatian Oil Factory — was established in Zagreb. The anniversary was marked on that same calendar date.

Revenue, workforce and market reach

According to figures the company released for the anniversary, Zvijezda currently generates about €150 million in annual revenue, employs more than 400 people and sells in more than 15 markets. No profit figures and no split between domestic and foreign sales were published alongside the anniversary data.

“I am proud that we are the market leader in almost all the categories in which we chose to compete, and the historically high result in the mayonnaise category of more than 70 percent confirms that,” said Dinko Jurišić, a member of Zvijezda's Management Board. “Zvijezda has for years been the number one brand among all fast-moving consumer goods brands, and we achieve those results continuously thanks to our consumers, employees and partners.”

Category positions on the home market

Behind the headline figures sits an unusually strong position for individual products in Croatia. The company cited the following indicators:

• every second edible oil used in Croatia is a Zvijezda product;
• two out of every three cakes are baked with Zvijezda margarine;
• nine out of ten consumers think of Zvijezda first when it comes to mayonnaise;
• market share in the mayonnaise category above 70 percent.

According to the spring 2026 BRANDpuls survey by the agency Ipsos, five Zvijezda brands rank among the 20 strongest brands on the Croatian market, with Zvijezda mayonnaise and Zvijezda oil taking the first two places.

From a 1916 oil mill to Margo and Omegol

Zvijezda expanded production and entered new categories over the following decades. In 1956 it became the country's first margarine producer, three years later it launched mayonnaise, and in 2016 it started producing its own ketchup. The company today operates through the Zvijezda, Margo and Omegol brands, and management has announced continued investment in production and development.

“Today Zvijezda is a large and modern company, which these figures prove best: €150 million in annual revenue, more than 400 employees and a presence in more than 15 markets. We look at these 110 years with pride, but even more with a sense of responsibility towards what is coming, so we continue to invest in the development of our products, the modernisation of production, the digitalisation of processes and sustainable solutions that will further strengthen Zvijezda's competitiveness,” said Karmen Rosan, a member of the Management Board.

New chapter under Žito Group

For the company's future, the more consequential development is the ownership change that occurred in the anniversary year. By joining Žito Group, Zvijezda gained a new owner and business partner, with further strengthening of production, market position and room for growth announced.

“Zvijezda is one of the best-known Croatian food brands and a company that for 110 years has had a special place in the lives of generations of consumers. Its entry into Žito Group represents a great responsibility for us, but also an opportunity to jointly build a new chapter of one of the most successful Croatian business stories, so that in the years ahead we remain competitive and recognisable among consumers,” said Josip Bičvić, chairman of Zvijezda's Supervisory Board.

The 110th anniversary ceremony was held at the Zagreb City Museum with company partners and representatives of institutions and the media. Zvijezda linked the anniversary to its long-standing cooperation with the Croatian Down Syndrome Community, to which it handed over a donation. The two have worked together for more than ten years, and the labels of a special anniversary edition of sunflower oil carry drawings by children from the association.