Page 24 - ASUTIL 2023

INSIDER

SEVA IBP sets sights on Latin American expansion

SEVA IBP is the epitome of today’s called Rubis Wines, from which it is just
travel retail company. Family-owned, it now beginning to export its products in the
was first established in 1997 by Severino global travel retail channel. Spirits makes
Pušić, and today SEVA has a true global up the bulk of the business.
footprint. Its duty free operations, under After deciding to enter the Latin
the name of SEVA IBP, are headquartered America market, SEVA set up an office in
in The Netherlands, managed by Laura Panama: “I lived in Panama, and knew the
Klingeman, with other offices in Athens, customers there. Envisioning the growth DRINK IT
Greece; Panama City, Panama; Jebel Ali in the Latin markets, we organized an
Dubai in the UAE; and Mostar, in Bosnia operation in the Colon Free Zone, which
and Herzegovina. Domestic market is important, especially for spirits and
operations are managed out of Serbia. tobacco. This allowed us to operate under ICE COLD
In addition to its duty free and travel our name.”
retail business, the SEVA Group umbrella In terms of logistics, nearly all of
also encompasses real estate, distribution Laura Klingeman, Managing Director, SEVA IBP SEVA IBP’s distribution to Latin America
and an award-winning winery. goes through its own bonded warehouse
The duty free business is officially Pušić about 10 years ago. in Ploče, Croatia, from where it ships full
known as SEVA IBP, standing for “This is where the SEVA IBP Latin container loads, or from regional 3rd party
Integrated Brand Positioning. The focus story begins,” says Klingeman. “I met logistics.
of this business is squarely on Europe Severino, and he is very visionary, and Among the brands that SEVA
and Latin America, Klingeman tells TMI. very strategic. Originally from the former IBP represents in Latin America are
Another company in the group, Organico Yugoslavian countries, it was a turbulent Jägermeister, Bacardi, and brands from
Solutions, under Roger Jackson in Dubai, time, which is how he came to The the Duty Free Global portfolio including
is responsible for duty free and distribution Netherlands. When I joined the company Gunpowder Gin, Silent Pool Gin, and many
in the Middle East and Africa. more than ten years ago, the domestic Sazerac brands. The company has begun
The Group SEVA IBP also operates a market distribution was all set up. From representing two brands from Young Spirits
retail entity, Seva Duty Free, in Croatia on the base in the Balkans and the former (Garry Maxwell and Tim Young), Au
the border with Bosnia and Herzegovina, as Yugoslavian countries, the company had Vodka and Equiano Rum and is just starting
well as a sister company in Panama, which expanded to Eastern Europe and then to with Loch Lomond. It is now launching the
also serves IBP, says Klingeman. full European distribution for the brand Rubis wines into Latin America, as well.
With her background in international owners, which included most of the top “We also see some opportunities to
business, languages and anthropology, plus spirits companies in the world.” expand our business with some brands
a masters in Latin American and Caribbean Today, some 95% of the SEVA in Europe to Latin America,” noted
studies, Klingeman was in the perfect business continues to be in Wines and Klingeman.
position to expand the SEVA business to Spirits. The company even owns its own The company is also now venturing
Latin America when she met Severino award-winning winery in Herzegovina, into tobacco, representing premium
GURKHA Cigars in the region after sister
company Organico Solutions out of Dubai
secured the exclusive global duty free and
travel retail distribution for the brand.
“Gurkha is a luxury, artisanal cigar.
Made from the finest tobacco, the cigars
are hand rolled in Nicaragua and the
Dominican Republic. Gurkha has curated
a core range of travel retail products,
including sampler packs and infused
collections,” says Klingeman. “But they
are most famous for – and the reason
behind their huge success over the past two
years—their ‘Baggies’ packaging, which
eliminates the need for a humidor. We
showed the Gurkha cigars in Cannes and
have just started rolling these out now.”
This year, Gurkha plans to launch its

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