Bontex: Innovating the Garment Industry in Bosnia and Herzegovina

Initially, Bontex hired approximately 50 employees and entered into a partnership with a Swiss company for the export of shirts to Switzerland. This partnership expanded significantly over time. Admira Basic has been serving as the General Manager at Bontex for more than seven years now. “Currently, we dominate around 80 % of the shirt market in Switzerland, and in due course, we establish another international partnership in Austria, where we supply medical garments. In recent years, we have also collaborated with partners in Germany and other countries,” Admira explains.

Further bin the context Amira continues: in addition to their high-quality products, the key to their success lies in the proximity of their factory to EU countries. Moreover, unlike their competitors, they are able to handle orders in small quantities.  Despite supplying numerous companies and brands over the years, Bontex had not previously sold under its own label. “We invested heavily in technology and our workforce and didn’t have the chance to focus on branding and marketing our own products,” Admira explains. However, an opportunity arose with the call for proposals launched by the EU-funded EU4 Business programme, which was aiding businesses in Bosnia and Herzegovina to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic. With the support from the EU4 Business recovery programme, Bontex launched a new website and online store, established a design unit within the company to create Bontex-branded designs, and procure quality textile fabric for their new product lines.

With the recently received support from the EU4 Business recovery programme, Bontex anticipates a 30% growth in revenue in the near future. “Our design team, consisting of five young colleagues, has delivered impressive results, and I am optimistic about the future of our company. We were given an opportunity, and we have demonstrated our ability to justify that trust.” Admira says.

At present, Bontex has a workforce of 200 employees, and they are planning to expand this number to over 300 in the years to come. Additionally, they plan to continue investing in technology and marketing their brand.