Our Story: From Three Brothers to Three Continents
📜 The Legend Begins: In 2003, three Bosnian brothers discovered an injured owl while hiking
near Sarajevo. After nursing it back to health, the owl began following them everywhere, even carrying
their backpacks. This sparked an idea that would revolutionize postal delivery...
The Founding Era (2003-2005)
| Year | Milestone | Details |
| March 2003 | Company Founded | Brothers Mirza, Adnan, and Emir Kostrenović register "NightwingExpress d.o.o." with €500 capital |
| April 2003 | First Owl Hired | Grandfather Igor (the rescued owl) officially becomes Employee #001 |
| May 2003 | First Delivery | Love letter from Sarajevo to Mostar - arrived in 4 hours, recipient cried with joy |
| Dec 2003 | 10 Owls Recruited | Word spreads in owl community, voluntary applications flood in |
| 2004 | The Bow Tie Incident | Grandfather Igor refuses delivery without proper attire, bow tie becomes mandatory |
| 2005 | First International Delivery | Package to Belgrade, Serbia - opens Balkan expansion |
Growth & Challenges (2006-2015)
The Golden Years (2006-2008)
| The Crisis Years (2008-2010)
|
The Vole Market Crash of 2011: When vole populations plummeted, we nearly went bankrupt.
Grandfather Igor came out of retirement to lead emergency mouse recruitment drives. His famous speech
"Ask not what your company can hoot for you" inspired owls to work for half-rations until recovery.
Famous Historic Deliveries
| Date | Package | Story |
| 2007 | Wedding Ring | Groom forgot ring in Sarajevo, owl delivered to Banja Luka church mid-ceremony |
| 2010 | Nobel Nomination | Leaked: We allegedly delivered a Nobel Peace Prize nomination (can't confirm) |
| 2013 | EU Accession Documents | Official EU certification papers delivered by team of 5 owls in formation |
| 2016 | Olympic Torch (Replica) | Sarajevo Winter Olympics memorial - owl flew with lit torch for 2km |
| 2019 | The Million Euro Contract | Biggest deal in company history, required Great Horned Owl with security escort |
| 2023 | Baby Shoes | Premature baby in remote village needed special shoes, delivered in record 47 minutes |
Modern Era & Global Expansion (2016-Present)
2016: Introduction of GPS tracking after "The Perica Incident" (got lost for 3 days)
2017: Partnership with Deutsche Post for German market entry
2018: 1 millionth delivery celebrated with citywide hooting ceremony
2019: Great Horned Owls recruited from Canada for intercontinental service
2020: Pandemic boom - "contactless delivery" already our specialty!
2021: OwlTrack™ GPS system deployed, zero owls lost since
2022: Worldwide delivery network established, 190+ countries
2023: Listed on Sarajevo Stock Exchange (SASE: HOOT)
2024: AI-powered hoot translation system beta launch
The Founders Today
[Portrait] Mirza K. CEO Mirza Kostrenović | [Portrait] Adnan K. CTO Adnan Kostrenović | [Portrait] Emir K. COO Emir Kostrenović |
🦉 Grandfather Igor Memorial Wing
Grandfather Igor, our first owl employee (#001), passed away peacefully in 2019 at the remarkable age of 23. His legacy lives on in our company values and the Igor Training Academy. His famous last hoot roughly translates to "Keep flying, even when the mice are scarce." A bronze statue of Igor wearing his signature bow tie stands in our headquarters lobby.
2003-2019 • "The Owl Who Started It All"
Visit Our Museum! The NightwingExpress Heritage Museum at our Sarajevo headquarters features:
- Grandfather Igor's first bow tie (framed)
- Original 2003 business registration documents
- The "Love Letter" (our first delivery, donated back)
- Evolution of owl uniforms through the decades
- Interactive hooting translation booth
- Gift shop with exclusive "Retro 2003" merchandise
© 2003-2024 NightwingExpress d.o.o. | "From humble hoots to global routes"
Company motto: "Three brothers, one rescued owl, endless possibilities"