RITAM POSLA Josipa Maslać Petričević i Matea Pirić

Guest Josipa Maslać Petričević i Matea PirićHosted by Lidija KiseljakMay 3, 2026

Josipa Maslać Petričević i Matea Pirić

About this episode

What you'll hear in this conversation

Running a textile business for over forty years in a market where most competitors have folded sounds like a story of stubborn resilience. But for Josipa Maslać Petričević, founder of Naftalina, and her daughter Matea Pirić, who now leads sales and marketing, it's a story of constant reinvention. Josipa started Naftalina in 1983 as a law student, building a brand that defined a generation. She then navigated a war, a personal crisis, and the relentless pressure of a low-margin industry by repeatedly pivoting the business, from jeans to uniforms, and now to a diverse service offering that includes everything from cruise ship repairs to custom upholstery. Matea, who grew up in the hum of the factory, represents the next generation's natural embrace of the family business, bringing new energy and complementary skills. This conversation reveals what it takes to not just survive, but to build a lasting legacy in the face of continuous disruption.

Insights from the conversation

What to take from this episode

Josipa Maslać Petričević founded Naftalina in 1983 as a law student, making jeans because the market "craved" Western styles. Entrepreneurship often starts not with a grand plan, but with identifying a personal need and the boldness to fill it, even while still in school.

When the war years hit in 1993, and the classic textile market collapsed alongside personal crises, Josipa "tried to get back up from bankruptcy" by sewing uniforms for booming security firms. A true operator doesn't just survive a crisis; they pivot into the adjacent, urgent market that crisis itself creates.

Josipa describes her "Herzegovinian genetics" that "don't acknowledge failure," combined with the motivation of two young children, as awakening "a lioness" within her. The most powerful drive to overcome business failure often comes from deeply personal responsibility, transforming setbacks into a new platform for growth.

Facing a "low-profitability branch" where major textile firms like Mode Garešnica and Vartex are closing, Naftalina now offers a broader service: curtains, upholstery, laundry, and even a mobile workshop for cruise ship repairs. In a tough industry, survival means constantly redefining your core offering, not just what you make, but what problems you solve.

Matea Pirić spent her childhood in the factory, "loved the sound of machines and fabric scraps," and chose to join the business because it "came naturally." The strongest family successions are rarely forced; they emerge when the next generation feels an intrinsic connection to the work and its creative process.

Matea's brother Domagoj joined Naftalina after working in corporate finance in Milan and London. Bringing external corporate experience into a family business can inject valuable, complementary skills, bridging the gap between traditional operations and modern financial management.

Matea describes her synergy with her brother: "everything he likes, I don't like, and everything I like, he doesn't like." This clear division of preferences and skills can be a powerful advantage in a family business, allowing each leader to focus on their strengths without stepping on each other's toes.

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