The Ukrainian entrepreneurs plan to build a new confectionery factory near Žilina (source: Pexels)
Slovakia has been supporting Ukraine for some time, by supplying fuel, weapons, and humanitarian aid in support of its defence against Russia's invasion. Now a Ukrainian company is planning to bring a large new factory, and with it hundreds of jobs, to Slovakia.
A family-run confectionery company from central Ukraine, Lukas, arrived in Slovakia eight years ago to sell its products and export them to other countries in the European Union. Now, the company, through its subsidiary Petro SK, intends to establish a production plant in Slovakia, which will create new job opportunities, writes the Denník N daily.
A Ukrainian boost to the Slovak economy
The Ukrainian entrepreneurs plan to build a new confectionery factory near Žilina at a cost of over €11 million, employing 200 people. The new facility will primarily focus on the production of caramel or chocolate-coated nuts, seeds and dried fruits, which are among Lukas' main products, along with sweet pastries.
Lukas began shifting its business to Slovakia over eight years ago after the initial Russian attacks on Crimea and the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine. Together with another Ukrainian company, it established the joint trading company Petro SK. Due to the ongoing conflict with Russia and its ally Belarus, the Lukach family that owns the company has completely ended its previously robust exports to Russia and Belarus, redirecting its focus towards EU countries.
Žilina will become a confectionery centre
The new Lukas plant near Žilina will be situated near the Hričov reservoir and cover a total operational area of almost 4,000 square metres. Construction is expected to commence in autumn next year, with completion projected for the summer of 2026.
Lukas already has a production facility spanning 11 hectares in Kremenchuk, located southeast of Kyiv on the Dnipro River. The company employs approximately 3,500 people and produces around 2,500 tons of confectionery products per month. Lukas sells its products in 52 countries worldwide, including the challenging French market, where it has even found success with its croissants.
Slovakia attracts more Ukrainian businessman
Meanwhile, another significant Ukrainian investor, Myronivskyj Chliboprodukt, owned by businessman Yuriy Kosiuk, operates a large poultry processing factory in Slovakia with over 150 employees.
Kosiuk's agricultural group is the largest in Ukraine, with a turnover of two billion US dollars and has subsidiaries in the Netherlands and the Balkans.
