June the 8th, 2025 – A 100 million euro investment spanning 43,000 square metres in the form of the new Samobor RC Zone has now opened its doors.
As Ana Roksandic/Poslovni Dnevnik writes, the very first phase of the largest Croatian logistics and distribution centre is finally done and has opened its doors. The brand new Samobor RC Zone is now in operation. Five tenants will utilise the ample 43,000 square metres of space in the Bobovica business zone for their logistics needs. The total value of the project stands at a staggering 100 million euros, and the Czech RC Europe group is behind it all.
Parallel to the opening of the first phase of the new Samobor RC Zone, work began on the next phase. Upon completion of the works, the new complex will span an area of 86,000 square metres, which will make it the largest logistics and distribution centre in all of Croatia.
The new Samobor RC Zone is located only 12 kilometres from the very heart of Zagreb along the A3 highway that connects Croatia and neighbouring Slovenia. Tenants can use the space for whatever they need: storage, production or office operations. The tenants of the first half of the building are well-known players including DB Schenker, Milšped and Logaritam. Commel Zagreb, a manufacturer of electrical equipment, and drogerie markt Hrvatska (dm) are also present there. In addition to Croatia, the Czech group is also active in Romania, Serbia and its home country, the Czech Republic.
the samobor rc zone project was filled with typical croatian complications
This large project near Samobor was in a stage of preparation for seven years. In a typical Croatian saga, more than 300 owners were registered on the land which had to be purchased. “The biggest challenge was purchasing the land, there were more than 300 owners. We were dealing with that for a long time. Obtaining all the permits wasn’t easy either, but purchasing the land was the most difficult part. We worked on it for four to five years,” said Jan Prokop, co-owner of RC Europe, an investor in the project.
The decision to position the logistics and distribution centre in Samobor was made because of the well-developed road network, including highways and expressways that connect it with Zagreb and with surrounding cities, as well as other parts of the country. The Bobovica economic zone also has an excellent strategic position and is an optimal location for investors.
In addition, RC Europe previously said that their choice of Samobor was influenced by the professionalism of the Samobor city administration and their cooperative attitude. Samobor Mayor Petra Škrobot praised Samobor as a city with rich entrepreneurial traditions. She also said that they would “continue to strive to be supportive of investors”.
it finally received its operating permit in may 2025
In May, the Samobor RC Zone finally received an operating permit. When it comes to the topic of financing, Prokop revealed that they used both their own funds and a loan from UniCredit Bank. “We’re currently working on finding tenants for the second phase. We expect to open it next year”, said Prokop.
When asked, Prokop couldn’t single out any specific challenges of investing in Croatia compared to other European countries in which they operate, but it was important to them that there was no logistics park of that size in this country. “Wherever we go as a corporation, we try to offer the market what it lacks,” emphasised Prokop. The CEO of RC Europe and project manager in Croatia, Antonín Dillenz, gathered a team of local experts in Croatia led by Saša Baleta.
The opening ceremony was also attended by the Minister of Economy Ante Šušnjar, the Czech Ambassador Milan Hovorka, the Deputy Prefect of Zagreb County Ervin Kolarec, and Miloslav Hartman, the other co-owner of RC Europe. Minister Šušnjar said that the new Samobor RC Zone is a strong example of Croatia affirming itself as a logistics hub for goods from the East and the West, a sector that determines the speed of economic growth.
