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Based in Tbilisi, Georgia, Sulakauri Publishing was established in 1999 and is one of the leading publishing houses in the country.
The company was hit badly by the Covid-19 pandemic, and reached out for support from the EBRD’s Women in Business programme and Sweden, through the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida), to help leverage potential digital avenues and achieve its goals of expansion.
Adaptability in times of crisis
Tina Mamulashvili, Director, saw the surge in online activity during pandemic lockdowns and recognised the need to embrace digital transformation within the business. She set about revamping the company’s website and creating a new online bookstore experience which became the cornerstone of a new digital product business model.
This shift of direction catered to changing consumer habits but also broadened the company’s market reach beyond its physical stores. Diversification not only helped the company weather the storm of the pandemic, but also positioned it as a leading publishing house in post-Covid era Georgia, showcasing the power of adaptability and inventiveness in the face of unprecedented challenges and disruption to its operations.
Indeed, the company managed to grow, not merely retaining its predominantly women workforce but increasing staff numbers as it did so.
A dedicated literary passion
The company actively seeks out and supports new and interesting authors and its unique selling point is its commitment to spreading the voice of Georgian literature worldwide.
What stands out is the business’s “unwavering commitment to high quality, both in printing and content”, says Tina. “We were the pioneers among Georgian publishers in producing high-quality books abroad. Furthermore, we pride ourselves on offering an exceptional catalogue, catering to readers of all generations - meticulously curating the titles we publish, and offering outstanding translations. Many of our authors and translators have received recognition and awards both locally and internationally over the past 25 years and our books consistently feature on the bestseller lists.”
The company is a gatekeeper for the works of some of the greatest literary minds and names in contemporary Georgian literature.
EBRD support for growth and expansion
As the company grew, its management realised there was a need for specialised, custom software to help manage its inventory and sales, which it developed with support from the EBRD’s Advice for Small Businesses team in Georgia back in 2003, when the programme first started in the country.
A second project followed later, in 2020. “We had entered a new phase in our company's development as we began to establish a chain of physical bookshops, which represented a departure from our core business of book publishing,” explains Tina.
This transition presented unique challenges, requiring the business to seek further support as it expanded.
Quality, quantity and diversity
The company publishes prolifically, while maintaining a commitment to quality.
Indeed, the company currently publishes more than 350 titles per year – actively working with publishers from different countries and regions – and its books have been translated and published into Arabic, French, German, Japanese, Turkish and many other European languages.
Sulakauri produces books for all ages and of almost all kinds: from fiction, graphic novel and comic books to non-fiction including biographical, educational, and food and wine books.
Its translated books are by world-renowned classic, modern classic and contemporary authors, and the company has a focus on publishing prominent Georgian writers to support the wider discovery of new and interesting voices.
Digital initiatives in education
The company has made substantial inroads in its digital transformation and continues to invest in digital initiatives.
In early 2023, it created the sulakauri.edu.ge website to distribute English language learning materials, which they licensed, along with their own digital educational materials.
The company also sells e-books and audiobooks through numerous local and international platforms.
While digital sales represent a smaller proportion of the company’s core business at present, Tina anticipates growth in this area.
And so the story continues…
To capitalise and build on the company’s post-pandemic growth, there are plans to diversify and expand its range of print and digital educational materials, to develop a new marketing strategy, and to introduce educational games and toys for the younger generations.
A fresh website revamp, with enhanced e-commerce tools and an improved user experience, will launch in 2024 to coincide with the opening of two new bookshops in Batumi and Gori, in addition to a proposed flagship concept shop in Tbilisi.
Under Tina’s stewardship, Sulakauri Publishing is writing its own destiny – and it is hard to deny it will be a genuine page-turner.