Jamnica (company) facts for kids
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| Limited Liability Company | |
| Industry | Beverages |
| Founded | October 18, 1828 |
| Headquarters | Zagreb, Croatia |
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Key people
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Ivan Čevra (CEO) |
| Products | Jamnica, Jana, Jana Ice Tea, Jana vitamin, Botanica, Toco, Prosport, Progame |
| Revenue |  HRK 1.1 billion (2021) |
| HRK 81.4 million (2021) |
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Number of employees
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955 |
Jamnica plus LLC is a company from Croatia that makes sparkling mineral water, other bottled waters, and soft drinks. It started on October 18, 1828. Today, it is part of the Beverages Group, which is a division within the Fortenova Group.
The Beverages Group has invested a lot in new technology. This has made them one of the most modern producers of natural mineral waters and soft drinks in Europe. They produce over 600 million liters every year. This makes them the biggest producer in their region. Jamnica plus has two main bottling plants. One is in Pisarovina and the other is the Jana bottling plant near Jastrebarsko.
Jamnica plus, as part of the Beverages Group, offers many popular brands. These include Jamnica, Botanica, Sarajevski kiseljak, Mg Mivela, Jana, Jana Ice Tea, Jana vitamin, Fruit-flavoured Jana, Sara, ProSport, ProGame, Sensation, Sky Cola, Barts, and Toco.
Contents
Jamnica's Long History
The story of Jamnica water goes back to the 18th century. In 1772, Empress Maria Theresa of Austria-Hungary had samples of Jamnica water tested. The same year, Jamnica was officially added to the list of mineral waters. In 1823, a pharmacist named Josip Mikšić did the first scientific test of Jamnička kiselica (Jamnica mineral water).
Starting Commercial Sales
Jamnica began selling its water on October 8, 1828. This was when the first bottles were filled for the market. This date is still celebrated as Jamnica Day. Later that year, another pharmacist, Đuro Augustin, did a second scientific test. In 1830, a bathhouse and a spa opened in Jamnica. They stayed open until 1870. A new spa building was built in 1852 by a famous architect from Zagreb, Janko Jambrišak.
Famous Visitors and Slogans
Between 1863 and 1864, important people visited the Jamnica spa. These included Bishop Josip Juraj Strossmayer, politician Ante Starčević, and writer August Harambašić. During his visit, August Harambašić created Jamnica's most famous slogan:
"Drinking Jamnica water when you’re young and old will extend your life and keep your heartbeat bright and bold."
—(August Harambašić)
At the end of the 19th century, Vilim Lovrenčić bought Jamnica. He made the bottling plant more modern and improved sales in 1899. In 1926, Mira Vrbanić and Margita Rottenbucher bought the spring. A new, modern water pumping site was built in 1932.
Challenges and Rebirth
Jamnička kiselica was produced steadily until World War II. Production stopped during the war. In 1961, a company from Zagreb called Agrokombinat took over the springs. They brought production back to life. In 1962, a new spring called Jamnica 62 was found. By 1964, the bottling plant was updated with two automatic lines. On August 1, 1967, the Marijan Badel company bought the Jamnička kiselica plant. A new spring, Janino vrelo, was drilled in 1973. A new bottling plant opened in 1978.
New Products and Independence
In May 1982, Jamnica added new low-calorie drinks called Jana. These were based on mineral water and came in lemon and orange flavors. In 1986, a new mineral water drink called Sprint tonic was launched. It was made for athletes and people who exercise a lot.
Jamnica became an independent company in 1990. On October 7, 1991, the Jamnica bottling plant was attacked. Its buildings, filling lines, and products were damaged.
Modernization and Growth
On December 28, 1992, the company changed into a joint-stock company. Its new main owner, Agrokor JSC, began to rebuild the plant.
In 1993, they invested in three modern bottling lines. They also bought new trucks and forklifts. Distribution centers were set up in Zagreb, Split, Rijeka, and Osijek. On September 10, 1993, Jamnica was attacked again during the war.
In July 1994, a new bottle filling line started working. This allowed Jamnica to be filled into its original 1.5 liter PET bottles. In August 1995, they started making non-carbonated Jamnica mineral water. The company's label and logo were redesigned in December of that year. In July 1996, Jamnica products began to be filled into 0.5 liter PET bottles.
In 1998, Jamnica bought a share in Mladina JSC. This meant Jamnica also started making wine.
In May 1999, a new juice bottling plant opened in Jastrebarsko. Jamnica then launched its natural fruit juices called Juicy.
In 2000, Jamnica became the main owner of Sarajevski kiseljak. This is a large and modern mineral water factory in Bosnia and Herzegovina.
On July 18, 2002, Jamnica began making the natural spring water Jana for sale. In December of the same year, they started producing soft drinks called Juicy fruits and fruit juices called TO.
Since 2003, Jamnica's shares have been traded on the Zagreb Stock Exchange.
In July 2004, Jamnica became the main owner of the Fonyodi mineral water bottling plant in Hungary.
Jamnica also owns other brands, like the Mivela brand from Serbia. They have manufacturing and distribution centers in Slovenia, Serbia, and the United States.
On March 20, 2008, Jamnica launched its "Smart" functional beverages. These included Smart Antiox, Smart Active, Smart Snack, and Smart Fit. In August of the same year, Jamnica introduced new flavored mineral waters: Jamnica Sensation (lemon-lime and mandarin-tangelo) and an isotonic drink Jamnica Pro Sport. On October 28, 2008, Jamnica celebrated its 180th anniversary.
Jana Natural Mineral Water
Jana natural mineral water is one of the most famous brands from Jamnica plus. It is bottled in Gorica Svetojanska, near Jastrebarsko. The water comes from a very deep spring, about 800 meters (2,625 feet) underground. This spring is located under old dolomite rocks. Because of this, Jana has a special mix of minerals, especially a good balance of calcium and magnesium.
The water comes from Saint Jana in the Žumberak Mountains in Croatia. People describe its taste as "smooth with appealing freshness and silky texture." Jana water started being sold in North America in 2006.
Jana has won several awards for its quality. In 2005, it received the Eauscar Award for "Highest Quality" at Aqua-Expo in Paris. The brand is also certified as carbon-neutral, meaning it works to balance out its carbon emissions. In 2022, Jana won the Grand Gold Quality Award. This is the highest award for product quality from the prestigious Monde Selection competition.
