The manufacturing industry in Albania, with its “Made in Albania” products, is demonstrating real progress in the international market, becoming an integral part of prestigious European companies.

“DBS Group” is one of the four largest companies in Europe in the global sportswear market, where Albania—one of the group’s main production bases—is emerging as its central hub.

Prime Minister Edi Rama visited the factory today, with 800 employed workers and operates according to European standards across seven different departments, producing professional sportswear for the European market.

“We’ve been in Albania for 12 years. We are present in many Eastern European countries. We’ve transformed Tirana into our headquarters—our largest factory is in Albania. We employ nearly 800 people. We’re also involved in a project with the University of Sorbonne. Here, clients can see in real time what is happening with a specific product and their production line. Productivity is at a very satisfying level. Everything is ‘Made in Albania.’ In addition to this, we also have our own product line, which we’ve been selling on Amazon for two years now,” explained the factory’s director.

In this company, the dignified treatment of employees is a priority—starting with wages above the industry average, various bonuses, and optimal working conditions, supported by digitalized processes.

“Today, this factory is the most digitalized in a sector traditionally based on manual labor.                The workers’ wages are above the average level for the manufacturing sector. It’s crucial that employees have this sense of security—first and foremost by having good working conditions. Efficiency also plays a vital role. We’re in a factory with 800 employees, where wages are not only above the average but also well above the minimum wage. Simply through process automation and the implementation of an efficient system, the company has managed to reduce its costs by 11%, which translates into 20,000 euros saved per day—just from automation,” stated Delina Ibrahimaj, Minister of State for Entrepreneurship and Business Climate.

After touring the factory, Prime Minister Edi Rama met with employees and the company’s management team:

“It is truly a pleasure and a source of pride to visit this reality, which directly challenges all those voices—whether from within the industry, from buyers, or from outside observers—who, at one point, lamented that ‘the strengthening of the ALL would be the end of this industry, everyone will lose their jobs, and so on and so forth.‘ Because this reality clearly shows that what we have stood by from the very beginning is indeed the only path forward: improving quality, increasing competitive capacity, and letting go of the outdated notion that cheap labor is a competitive advantage in today’s world.

To see young women here, working in an environment that is automated, clean, though not easy, means you are guaranteeing them their rights—while at the same time ensuring a reasonable profit.

For many years, Albanian entrepreneurs invested more in buildings and machinery than they ever considered investing in their workers.

Today, there is an important shift happening, largely because it is becoming increasingly clear: you can no longer move forward by exploiting labor. You must not exploit the workforce—you must motivate and support it.

In that respect, what is happening here is truly impressive and remarkable.

And finally, this company—with the centralization of its operations here, despite having branches in several EU countries, and with its strategy to turn Albania into a hub that gathers products from all other locations to then distribute them to Western Europe—gives us clear proof of the strategic advantage Albania holds.

This is a strategic advantage that we are working to support through infrastructure: ports, airports, roads, and railways. Meanwhile, the next step—Albania’s entry into the EU—will make it even easier for this company, as a European company, to grow its capacities, increase its profits, and, without a doubt, also increase its financial support for you.

All workers in Albania should know that the moment we enter the European Union, wages will immediately change.

Thank you once again, and I wish all of you and your families all the very best,” stated the Prime Minister