Business in Marijampolė County

3.5% of the gross domestic product of Lithuania is created in Marijampolė County. Nearly one fifth of the total value of the region is created in the sectors of agriculture, forestry and fishery.

 The main industries of the county are food industry, in particular milk and meat processing. Bakery and sugar production also have old traditions in the region. The county has the oldest sugar refinery in Lithuania which was built in 1931 and later modernized.

Metal processing industry is successfully developed in the county.

Wood processing and furniture manufacturing are among the most developed industries. The biggest in the Baltic States furniture factory is situated in Marijampolė County.

For years the region has been famous as one of the used car selling centres attracting local and foreign traders to the county.

Growing production gives rise to the export growth. In the beginning of 2007 the exports were 769.3 million litas (222.9 million euros). The main exports are food products, knitwear and fibreboards. The biggest part of the exports (over 80 %) goes to the countries of the European Union.

With the increasingly improving legal and economic environment, the amount of investments to the companies of the county is growing. Direct foreign investments in the beginning of 2007 were 97.4 million litas (28.2 million euros). Most of the investments go to food and beverage production, textile production, its retail and wholesale, furniture manufacturing and metal production. The greatest investments in the county come from the United States of America, Germany, Estonia, Denmark, Norway, Italy and Sweden.

Marijampolė County is creating favourable conditions to business development. Marijampolė municipality is implementing a project to create an industrial zone in order to attract investments of foreign and local capital companies.