It will not be possible to spin into a short weave of history all thai we would like to tell you, because the period behind us brought and took many witnesses and marks of time. Some of them were only temporary and some were deeply engraved into our roots, traditions, our successes and many of our friendships. We will take this opportunity and try to tell you a few words on the later.
Nowadays, it is rare to hear about a business success of a company in our region, especially considering extremely complex economic and social conditions reigning on this market. The climate of the market has a negative impact on the way businesses are conducted and run. Problems emerging after the post-war period include disloyal competition, inability to collect payments, unclear legal regulations and many others. It is our satisfaction that we can place the Banja Luka Market in a group of companies which successfully overcame such difficulties as is confirmed by financial indicators.
For the last several years we are achieving an average net income of almost 15 million KM, out of which the profit margin is almost 3 million KM per annum. The capital value of the Market at the end of last year was around 16.5 million KM.

Viewed through history, the beginning of this successful story reaches to the 16th century, when Banja Luka gained permission to organise a fair. The fair was held on the great Orthodox Christian holiday when the Holy Spirit joined the Apostles.
In accordance with tradition of keeping customs, during this holiday we organize the "Day of Saying Thank You" for all our friends, associates, business partners and customers. According to its contents and the way of organization, the event is adapted to the present time and modern ways of living. The "Day of Saying Thank You" presents a sort of social gathering between agricultural manufacturers, users of Market's facilities and a large number of customers and visitors. It presents unbreakable connection between our past, present and future.

On that day the Market's employees as good hosts and according to an old Orthodox Christian custom we welcome the users of Market's facilities with a warm smile, bread, salt and a drink, music and dance, instead of giving them bills for the services rendered. With this we are trying to pay our gratitude and send a clear message they arc a part of the Market, since without them and numerous customers, we would not be where we are today.
The story of the Market as it is now starts during the Kingdom of Yugoslavia.
In 1927 the first Market Management Office was established, in Banja Luka as the main political, economical, and cultural centre of the Vrbas province. States, systems, forms of organization and capital owners were rotating, but the Market kept its fundamental market function and business conduct through those times. One of the most important dates in the history of the Market is 13 th July 2001.
The founding convention of share holders was held on that day, the management bodies were elected and the Act of Incorporation was created for this already privatised company. As a recognised successful organiser through years, a desirable partner, friendly host and reliable mediate between agricultural manufacturers, tradesmen and customers, we gained quality foot-hold for even larger steps into the future.
We are especially recognizable through the rich offer of quality products and gifts of nature, fresh fruits and vegetables, high quality dairy products and during spring and summer months a special offer of strawberries and watermelons. Customers come here to get natural acacia and herb honey, as well as herbal teas made according to well known traditional recipes. Here you can find all agricultural products, all sorts of items and consumer goods of local and foreign origin. In specific pharmacies you can find all sorts of wild fruits, brought by in herb gatherers.

Many generations of our customers remember the Market as the place where they could always find something for themselves to fulfil their needs. The tradition and the quality of our offers are mentioned even in the oldest written records, like memoirs of Evlija Celebija, famous Turkish travel and writer from the 17th century.
He states that the products he could find in the then Banja Luka Market were so delicious that there were no mach for them even in Turkey, Arabia and Persia.
We have around 11 hectares of land which fulfils all sanitary and other needs of the present time. In our structure we have the City Market and the New Market in Banja Luka, as well as the Livestock Market and the Market in Kotor Varos. At the New Market in Banja Luka four main market functions arc being conducted:
car market, livestock market, flea market and the bazaar.
Besides mentioned facilities there are also four city area markets in Banja Luka:
Nova Varos, Obiliccvo, Borik and Laus, as well as two livestock depots in Bronzani Majdan and Krupa na Vrbas. Through efforts to give our customers the best quality of and diverse services, we established our own trade network. The City Market presenting the foundation of market function in Banja Luka region together with the New Market's facility is placed in the very centre of Banja Luka.
It spans the area of more than 20000 m2, and is being visited by up to 10000 visitors per day. The City Market's facilities are fulfilling all needs of modern trade and with its equipment, functionality and aesthetics are among the best equipped facilities of this type in the area of former Yugoslavia.

Besides its main function, the Market has always been and is the place where people meet, connect, mingle and exchange ideas. We are glad that with (his we became a part of your life and your daily routine, a new place for old and an old place Cor new gatherings.
Is there anything more natural than human contact, close, friendly and voluntary? In the spirit of development and strengthening of noble human traits we supported numerous activities in healthcare and education and sponsored diverse cultural and sport events. It"we consider the number of activities in whies we participated, we can freely say thai the Market is a rare champion of humanity, Maybe even the largest in this area. f)y measure of eternity we measure cvenls around us, liberated from the tenor of evanescence and convinced in values we nurture.

In accordance witli demands of modern business we have built a very powerful informational system connecting all our business processes. It provides us with timely and exact information and access to data , necessary to bring the right business decisions. We have adapted our business to ISO 9001:20()0 standards and received a certificate from the renowned German company TIJV. We have received the certificate without objections, which placed us in a small group of companies achieving the same thing. All (his is proof that even before the certificate the work in the Market was done according to European standards. That fact was best confirmed by business results and their rale of growth for the past 20 years. We achieved them working efficiently and effectively with maximum engagement of all employees.
liven during the time when many European and world associations looked with disbelief at the Bosnia and Herzegovina, due to the war.and long economic crisis, the Market was accepted in the membership of the World Union of Wholesale and Retail Markets, consisting of numerous countries from all continents. That extremely formal and important event was held in I lamburg in November 2000 on the annual convention of this association. To become a member of a world association presents great acknowledgement for a company heading with big steps into better future.

Participating in the convention in Hamburg, the Market's delegation, led by its general manager Mr. Radosav Grbic, tended to not only present its company in the best possible way, but to impose itself as a true ambassador of the Republic of Srpska. The following invitation for the next convention of this organization in Glasgow was the confirmation that we succeeded in this noble mission and double role.
Many awards handed to the Market over the past years were the proof that the modern supervision, good organization and successful business results must be noticed by those who are competent to evaluate this. The most important are: awards received by the Chamber of Economy of the Republic of Srpska, Chamber of Economy of Banja Luka Region and the City of Banja Luka. Awards are also received by our general manager Mr Radosav Grbic, who won the award Economist of South East Europe 2004 - a lifetime award, given by the Direction for elections of the best manager in south east Europe.
"The words are like a group of people - it is not necessary to know them all, choose for you only the right ones". This was mentioned in rhymes by one of the greatest musicians and true idols for generations living in the seventies and the eighties of the past century. Like that, general manager Grbic chose his associates for almost 19 years and organized a team of managers capable of handling all challenges of modem business surroundings. This team supervises almost 200 employees and all together creating conditions for even more quality work and better business results.
In the world of domination of modern business systems it is not necessary just to be efficient and creative. The way of presenting yourself, your idea and your business results is extremely important as well. Communication means everything today. We think that our success will greatly depend on skills of sending information to public and customers and to ensure the correctness and quality of our procedures. We understood on time the importance of good advertising and well prepared and conducted media appearance.

Besides press conferences, video presentations and advertising jingles, the Market is printing its own informative newsletter "Trznica press" since 1999, which came to have its own television version in November last year with the same name. It is being aired every last Monday of a month on our television programmes and it is being realised in cooperation with the independent production and television company "Oltar" from Banja Luka. As a special television form keeping the immediate contact between us and our clients, we came up with a weekly report called "Tuesday on the Market".
In the spirit of following modern business processes we were among the first ones in the Republic of Srpska to have its own Internet domain and a Web page.
Dear friends, generations are alternating and the Market continues to live with You, beside You and for You. As it has done for the past eight decades. We hope it will remain like this for a long time to come. Your confidence is our obligation, expressed in our motto "Tradition, health, quality, friendship!" That is why we give you as a gift this short story about us, to stay for you and generations to come.

"A written word lasts longer than the mouth that pronounced it and ears that heard it. From us, my child, only the written things will stay. To prose means to pass and to write means to stay" - said the great count. Those great words spoken long ago, echo even today to teach us not to have destiny of the moment from the beginning of the story.