Bulgarian bait maker positive about its prospects in Western Europe

Bulgaria’s largest bait maker returned from EFTTEX with fresh business opportunities, industry recognition and renewed confidence in the future of its product development programme.

While Madiks believes visitor numbers were lower than at some previous editions of the show, it says the quality of conversations and new contacts made the trip worthwhile.

“It is always good to see old friends from the industry,” said the company’s Ilian Madjarov. “We also made deals with a few new clients and that is already a good result for us.”

This year’s event was particularly important for Madiks because it was held in a region where the brand has relatively limited market presence. The company attended with the goal of building relationships with distributors and customers in Western European markets, particularly Spain and France.

Madjarov added that whether those efforts ultimately translate into new business remains to be seen, but the early signs are positive. “We have only just started communications with the companies that visited our stand, so the next few months will show how successful the show has been.”

One clear success, however, came in the EFTTEX Best New Product Awards, where the company’s Method Feeder Cage received a runner-up prize in its category. The award recognises a product designed to modernise a traditional fishing method based on pressed groundbait briquettes. Madiks developed the cage specifically to improve the presentation and effectiveness of the briquettes it produces.

“We are very proud of the award,” said Madjarov. “Winning recognition at EFTTEX is not only about one product. It reflects the work our whole team puts into developing baits and tackle for modern anglers.”

The company believes the recognition is especially significant because method feeder fishing continues to grow in popularity across Europe. “To be recognised alongside leading international brands shows that our ideas, quality and practical performance are moving in the right direction.”

Alongside the Method Feeder Cage, Madiks used EFTTEX to introduce several new products, including a range of ready-to-use method pellets, new wafter models and its increasingly successful SeedXtract range.

SeedXtract is produced from the nutrient-rich liquid generated during the cooking of seeds and contains natural sugars, amino acids and flavours. Designed for moistening groundbaits and pellets, it is available in Corn, 4 Seed Mix, 9 Seed Mix, Hemp and Tiger Nuts variants.

Away from new product development, the company says business performance over the last year has been strong, with existing customers increasing both the volume and range of products they purchase.

Growth, however, brings its own challenges.

Like many expanding businesses, Madiks is looking for additional production space, greater manufacturing capacity and more skilled personnel. Supply chain pressures and rising costs have also continued to affect the business.

Despite those obstacles, the company remains optimistic.

“The political and economic situation is difficult for everybody and it affects the fishing industry too,” said Madjarov. “But as long as we can continue offering a strong quality-to-price ratio, we are confident about the future.”

That confidence is reflected in the company’s commitment to EFTTEX, with its stand already booked for next year’s exhibition in Prague.

“EFTTEX remains an important platform for the European fishing trade and Prague is a very good location for Central and Eastern Europe. It is important for us to continue being present at the show.”

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