Costella bottling plant sold to Croatia’s Stanić Group for €7 million

Slovenian entrepreneur Joc Pečečnik sold the Costella mineral‑water bottling plant and associated facilities in Fara near Kostel to the Croatian Stanić Group for €7 million. Pečečnik had acquired Costella in late 2022 for roughly €2 million, making the transaction a profitable exit.

The buyer, operating through the company Nika voda owned by Kristian Stanić, also obtained the water‑extraction concession, which the state granted until 2035 with a possible extension. The deal has been reported to Slovenia’s competition authority. It follows a longer‑term partnership between Pečečnik and the Stanić Group, under which the plant filled the Zala brand of natural mineral water after Stanić acquired the Zala and Sola trademarks from Pivovarna Laško Union in 2024.

The sale reflects a broader trend of Slovenian food‑and‑beverage brands moving under foreign, often Croatian, ownership, while the constitutional provision that water resources remain public property means the state retains ultimate ownership of the resource.

Costella had struggled with high electricity costs, nearly halting production in 2023, but returned to profitability in 2024, posting €1.96 million in revenue and a net profit of €465 thousand.