Slovenian gelato company Aroma Global is launching ice-cream production in Croatia's Ogulin in what it says will be the world's largest gelato factory using all-natural ingredients.

The company has invested €7.3 million in expansion over the past 15 months, opening 47 new ice-cream parlours in Croatia on top of existing three. They have none in Slovenia.

It was founded ten years ago in Trzin, just north of Ljubljana, by Primož and Tjaša Ogrizek "practically from their garage".

Primož Ogrizek says that even then they had plans to expand and chose Croatia as their base.

"The Croatian market seemed suitable for our expansion due to its large tourism potential, the long coastline and the longer tourism season," Ogrizek has told the Slovenian Press Agency.

The couple wanted to open a hundred locations in a single country and felt that Slovenia was too small for that. "We could have opened only a few locations in Slovenia, maybe in Ljubljana, Portorož and a few other places along the coast."

They are planning to invest a further €7 million in their expansion in Croatia in the next two years and open an additional 50 parlours for a total of 100.

Beyond Croatia, they are already eyeing other markets. While they are researching the European market, they plan to expand first outside Europe, form Saudi Arabia to the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait.

The company currently employs more than 300 people, a number that is expected to grow to around 700 over the next two years as they open the new factory and expand the number of shops.

They sell ice-cream under their brand Aroma Gelato Experience. It comes in more than 50 flavours and is made of all-natural ingredients, without additives, artificial flavours or colourings.