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MEGA INTERVIEW
business experience to people from the V.Stavroff: I had a wonderful, very hap-
country so that they can return home with py childhood in Bitola. I loved spending
a new outlook on things and re-educate summers with my grandparents in Selo
the employees in their company. Gorno Srpci (near Bitola). We had every-
thing that we needed…my Baba and Dedo
Overall, how do you assess the po- were self-sufficient. They cared for their
tential of the diaspora in stimulating the land and animals and taught me to be very
growth of the Macedonian economy? Mak- respectful and grateful for everything that
ing stronger links between the successful we had.
Macedonians abroad with those in the
country, sharing the lessons for success, You pursue a very successful career.
opening the world for the young genera- Currently, you are President & CEO of
tion… It seems that there are endless pos- HerbalScience and AlkaloidUSA, and co-
sibilities. founder of GreenBeauty. You focus on or-
ganic products. What are the global trends
V.Stavroff: Indeed, the possibilities are regarding organic products?
endless. Macedonia is not a “cash-crop”
economy, but has a good level of versatil- V.Stavroff: There has been a strong up-
ity that allows expansion and development ward trend in demand for organic prod-
in more than one sector. One of the points ucts in recent years. Consumers are now
taken from the Diaspora Investors Forum looking for healthier alternatives to many
was that people from the diaspora are at products. Many have made the switch
an advantage because they know what from products like carbonated soft drinks
they want to do with their business and to better-for-you options, like tea. Other
they are familiar with the country, they trends within the organics industry in-
speak the language or languages, they clude non-GMO, gluten-free, and low cal-
have citizenship, maybe own a property orie products, sustainable sourcing, and
here, already know people, which can help buying local.
them build an affiliated network of profes-
sionals and employees, and so on. Macedo- It seems that the upward trend in the
nians from the diaspora will most likely organic products market will just go on
have a broader understanding that politics in the future. Something happened in the
is politics, and that every country has its people’s perception about quality of life.
own challenges and crisis, which allows In economics, such changes are referred
them to be relieved of local-specific bag- to as a “permanent shock”. How do you
gage and the distracting effects of uncon- explain this growing demand for organic
structive social dynamics. The most im- products?
portant thing is for us to help people come
back and start a business and contribute to V.Stavroff: The growing demand for or-
social and communal life in the country, in ganic products has primarily been driven
other words, make life wealthier by being by increasing health consciousness. Peo-
here, visiting the spas in Macedonia, din- ple everywhere are now more concerned
ing in restaurants, going to an eco village about their health and the quality of the
for the weekend, and sharing good ideas products they put into their bodies. Grow-
with other people.People have returned ing interest in sustainability, environmen-
to start a business, and we are hopeful tal protection, animal welfare, and prod-
that this trend will continue and result in uct transparency has also contributed to
a wider community of entrepreneurs and the strong growth in the organic industry.
professionals.
You were born in Bitola and left Mace- You have a strong cooperation with
donia in 1970 to move to USA. How were Alkaloid AD Skopje for 13 years already.
your beginnings there? What are the results of that cooperation?
November 2016 19
