Finding Synergies between Croatia and our Two "Home" Markets: Israel and Pittsburgh

A chance meeting with the Croatian Ambassador to Israel, H.E. Ivan Del Vechio at a diplomatic event led to a phenomenal friendship, in addition to professional projects connecting Israel, Croatia and Pittsburgh.

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After a briefing at the Embassy about his country and its economic and cultural interests in Israel, the Ambassador began inviting us to meetings with Croatian delegations to Israel, and soon, ACCESS began cultivating international marketing and business development opportunities.

We helped establish the Israel-Croatia Chamber of Commerce, facilitated the participation of the rhythm group Mayumana in the Zagreb World Theater Festival; introduced Tofrado’s Slavonian oak barrels to Israel’s wine industry; and engaged Istrian Adventures to sponsor Israel’s Croatian National Day event by giving away a free trip to their luxury villas in cooperation with Croatian Airways.

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We were invited to meetings in Zagreb, where President Mesić introduced us to projects of national importance and sent us on a tour with senior members of the Croatian Health Ministry. We followed up with meetings in Pittsburgh, which has a large Croatian population, as well as opportunities for synergy in the projects introduced. The Chief Rabbi of Croatia introduced us to companies he had certified as Kosher for export markets.

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These and many other professional and personal relationships cultivated have survived economic, political and job changes and continue to this day.