LocationsUNDP Albania
From Street Olives to Global Shelves: The Quiet Rise of Sagelo
May 7, 2026
Belsh, Albania
If you drive through the small village of Dushk, in Belsh, you cannot miss Sagelo. It rises unexpectedly along the road—a place that makes you slow down, if only for a second.
From the outside, it looks like success has always belonged there.
But that is the illusion.
Because behind every solid wall, there is a story most people never hear.
We are quick to admire results: a functioning business, a clean facility, workers moving with purpose. What we rarely understand is the distance between nothing and something—the years when progress feels invisible, when effort outweighs reward, when belief is the only thing keeping you going.
That is where Sagelo truly begins.
On the Sagelo Olive premises
UNDP Albania
When I walked into the facility, I noticed the discipline first. Every worker was dressed in full uniform, from head to toe.
The space was spotless. Processes were clear.
But the most powerful moment came in conversation.
Several women told me this was their first job. Before Sagelo, employment had not been an option—it had been an absence. Now, they earn an income, support their children, and contribute to their households. There was pride in their voices, but also something deeper: a shift in identity.
For many women at Sagelo Olive, this is more than a job—it is financial independence, confidence, and a new beginning.
UNDP Albania
This is what a business can do when it grows with purpose.
Sami’s journey did not begin with a facility.
It began on the street.
After emigrating to Greece in search of better opportunities, things did not unfold as planned, leading him to return home. Years ago, he sold olives by hand, carrying small quantities, trying to convince passersby to stop and taste. At home, his mother worked beside him, preparing olives carefully, step by step. There was no machinery, no strategy—only patience, consistency, and the determination to create something better.
To grow, he borrowed small amounts built on trust. He expanded gradually, first in nearby areas, then in the markets of Elbasan. People returned not because of branding, but because of quality—because what he offered felt real.
That is how it moved forward. Not through leaps, but through persistence.
Today, nearly twenty-five years later, Sagelo stands as a fully operating agrifood business. Officially registered in 2008, it now works from a 1,000 m² facility in Dushk, with additional space for storage and logistics. During peak season, thousands of quintals of olives are processed, sourced from regions like Berat, Elbasan, Gramsh, and Fier.
Around fifty farmers rely on Sagelo through annual contracts. Two major supermarket chains in Albania carry its products. International shipments reach the United States and European markets.
And yet, even now, not everything is easy.
Much of the work remains manual. Machinery is limited. Infrastructure gaps—like water management—persist. Sami still manages waste on his own to ensure sustainability.
Despite everything he has built, he told me something I did not expect:
“I enjoy a big business status… but I still feel very small.”
That sentence explains everything.
Because growth does not erase struggle—it teaches you how to carry it.
This is where the story takes a decisive turn.
UNDP Albania Communications Specialist Nora Kushti in conversation with Sami, reflecting on the journey, growth, and vision behind Sagelo Olive.
UNDP Albania
At a moment when Sagelo stood between what it was and what it could become, it was selected to join “Growing with Your Business (GYB) methodology,” implemented by UNDP.
What followed was not a simple intervention. It was a transformation.
Through UNDP’s Growing with Your Business support, Sami did something not every entrepreneur is willing to do—he opened his business to change.
He listened.
He questioned.
He learned.
Over six months, UNDP’s support reshaped the company from the inside out.
The business model was refined. Branding was strengthened. Digital tools were introduced, opening the door to online sales and wider visibility. Employees were trained in food safety standards like GMP & 5S, in marketing, customer relations, and export readiness.
Today, Sagelo Olive reflects a renewed identity—modern, professional, and ready for new markets.
UNDP Albania
Alketa Skëndaj: “What made my six months working with Sagelo particularly rewarding was not just the tangible business progress, but the shift in mindset that accompanied it. For any consultant, witnessing this kind of transformation is often the most meaningful outcome. Working with both Sami and his son made the experience even more valuable, highlighting a genuine, multi-generational commitment to learning, improvement, and growth.”
But the real impact goes deeper than tools and training.
Because of UNDP’s Growing with Your Business methodology, Sagelo is a more structured, market-oriented enterprise. A new website is now in place. A professional traceability system tracks every olive—from the farmer who grows it to the jar that reaches the consumer.
That level of accountability changes everything.
The “Growing with Your Business” methodology -a proven UNDP business support tool used globally for over 15 years—is delivered by UNDP through the joint UN Project “Business Partnerships and Solutions for the SDGs,” financed by Sweden and implemented by UNDP in partnership with FAO, UNIDO, and ILO, helping enterprises strengthen management, enhance market readiness, and integrate into local and international value chains.
In Belsh, the programme is implemented in close cooperation with the municipality.
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Sagelo is more than a company.
It is a network of farmers whose livelihoods are more secure. It is women entering the workforce for the first time. It is a rural economy gaining strength.
It proves that when small and medium businesses grow, entire communities move forward with them.
If you pass through Dushk, you will still see the same building—clean, organized, impressive.
But now you know what stands behind it.
A mother and son preparing olives at home.
A young man selling on the street.
Hard work.
Years of uncertainty.
And a turning point.
This is not just a success story.
It is a reminder—
That potential exists everywhere.
It only needs the right moment, and the right support, to grow.
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